


Touching Base

by aevium, riotoftime



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Background Relationships, Childhood Friends, Eventual Relationships, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, M/M, Mutual Pining, Recreational Drug Use, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-11
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2019-05-05 13:04:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 118,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14619185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aevium/pseuds/aevium, https://archiveofourown.org/users/riotoftime/pseuds/riotoftime
Summary: Just as Sanji is on the cusp of seeking out a new life, a familiar face resurfaces in his dusty hometown.  Gripped by an unexpected attraction, Zoro finds himself questioning his relationship while Sanji's reasons to stay begin piling up.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Main Pairings: ZoSan (eventual), ZoLaw, LawLu (eventual), UsoNa  
> Side Pairings: Frobin, MarcoAce
> 
> Zoro and Sanji are aged up to 25 for storytelling purposes and everyone else is aged up appropriately. 
> 
> We hope you enjoy.

“Yo, Sanji!”   

Keys jangling in his grip, Sanji closes the door to his co-rented townhome and greets his friend with a grin. “Hey, Luffy.” He isn’t surprised in the least that Luffy’s here at two in the morning. He typically gets home from work around this time and someone other than Nami is usually here to greet him. It’s their routine.

Lifting the red ball cap off his head, Luffy runs a hand through his messy dark hair as he asks excitedly, “Has anyone beat my score in pinball yet?”

“No,” Sanji says with a sigh, exasperated with the all too familiar question. “You’re the only one who plays that shitty old thing.”

“Sweet! I’m still the king of pinball,” Luffy responds with a beaming grin as he places his cap back on his head.  He hunches over his phone again, going back to his game as Nami wanders down the stairs.

“Oh, you’re home,” the redhead says as she notices Sanji, stalling at the foot of the stairs and placing her hands on her hips.  “Just so you know, that foyer light is out.”  

“Ah, shit, saw it flickering earlier today,” Sanji mumbles, scratching his head. “I’ll fix it tomorrow, Nams.”

“Sounds good,” Nami agrees as she plops down on the couch next to Luffy, stretching her leg out to dig her toes into his side.  “Gotta get new bulbs anyway. This one broke them all trying to help.”

Sanji frowns, noticeably upset as he bites, “Luffy, you clutz.” He sighs harshly, squinting at the tile of the foyer. “Probably got shards everywhere. Did you get cut, Nami?”

“Nah, I’m fine,” Nami assures him.  She places the back of her hand to her forehead, dramatically hanging her head over the side of the couch as she sighs wistfully, “But I could’ve easily been hurt.”  She kicks Luffy’s elbow, jostling his game. “Idiot!”

“I brought you a Big Mac for dinner,” Luffy pouts as he rubs his elbow.  “That should make up for it!”

“You’re ruining my diet!”

“What diet? You texted me to make a McDick’s run, didn’t you?”

“That’s besides the point,” Nami says a sniff, tucking her legs underneath her and examining her nails. “You’re supposed to say no. It’s called accountability!”

As they argue behind him, Sanji examines the floor closely for glass shards before looking up at the ceiling, seeing an empty knob where the bulb should be. He’ll have to buy some new bulbs tomorrow. He walks into the kitchen to prepare a late snack.

“Hey, is today Tuesday?”

Sanji responds as Luffy and Nami join him in the kitchen, “No, it’s Monday. Idiot.”

Luffy frowns as he raises a hand, counting on his fingers.  “But is it two on Monday morning or Tuesday morning?”

Opening the fridge, Sanji directs one hand rigidly in the air as he elaborates. “Yesterday was Sunday, now it’s Monday.”

“Oh!” Luffy waves his hands excitedly, bouncing on his feet. “That means Zoro comes home tomorrow!”

Nami and Sanji both spin in his direction, utter shock taking over their features.

“ _What?!”_

There’s a brief pause before Nami questions further. “Zoro? You mean like the Zoro who still owes me forty bucks from high school? That Zoro?”

“Yeah! He’s moving home,” Luffy explains as he nods his head vigorously, beaming smile across his face.  “He told me a couple months ago. I just got the notification on my phone.”

“Months?!” Nami exclaims, putting her hands to her head. “You should’ve told us sooner!”

Elbow splayed over the door of the fridge, Sanji leans against it momentarily as he takes in Luffy’s announcement. He lets his roommate take over on the fierce questioning as he slowly closes the fridge door. His late night snack will have to wait.

“I thought I did.” Luffy gives her a sheepish grin as he unlocks his phone and swipes to find the text.  He turns the phone to them, pointing at the screen. “See! He said Tuesday, April 21st. That’s tomorrow!”

Resting one hand to his hip, Sanji finally responds, “What brought this on? Thought we’d never see that dumbass here again.”

Snatching the phone from Luffy’s hand, Nami’s eyes scour the conversation, reading to herself before she looks up at Sanji, “Says he got out of the Navy.”

“Out of the Navy?” Sanji asks, tone raising inquisitively. “What’d he do, piss off the president?”

Luffy grabs his phone back from Nami’s hands, thumb swiping through the conversation.  “He got hurt or something, I think.” Apparently unable to find what he needs, he shrugs and tucks the device into the pocket of his shorts.  “You two are gonna come to my place to see him, right?”

“He’s staying with you at Brook’s?” Nami asks, crossing her arms over her chest and turning her head pensively. “I guess he would have room for him.”

“Does his dad know?” Sanji questions.

“I think so?” Luffy tilts his head to the side, crossing his arms. “Either way, you’re both coming, right?”

“I can trade shifts at work,” Nami says thoughtfully, clenching a fist with a smug grin. “That bastard owes me.  It’s been years!”

Sanji shakes his head. “Can’t. Old man would kill me if I took a day off twice in a week.”

“Yeah, he’s such a hardass,” Luffy says with a pout. “Well that’s too bad. But he’s back so you’ll see him another time.”

Sanji nods, lost in his head with this mind blowing change of pace in his life. He heads out back for a cigarette, letting Nami question Luffy for further details. He hasn’t seen Zoro in what has to be six to seven years now. Since high school graduation. Zoro had been quick to join the Navy that summer and that was that. They didn’t have the best of friendships during those high school years, but having grown up together since very early on, the idea of Zoro returning to their dusty old town now is nothing short of nostalgic.

Lighting up and taking a drag, Sanji leans against the wall and ponders with a subtle smile. It’ll be interesting to see how his friend has grown and changed since the good old days.

 

 

* * *

 

Parking in the long gravel driveway of an unfamiliar house, Zoro glances at the GPS and confirms they’ve made it to the right place.  It’s in the middle of nowhere, nestled a couple miles outside of the main part of town. The sprawling, ranch-style home is painted a rich orange that’s similar to the current shades of the sky as the sun sets over the Arizona desert.  In the distance, the skyline of rocky mountains and canyon peaks shimmer in the fading light. It’s a sight for sore eyes, one he hadn’t seen in far too long.

He glances to the man nestled in the passenger seat, his steely eyes taking in the view.  With a grin, Zoro turns off the engine and nods to the door, “Ready?”

“Yes,” Law agrees as they unbuckle their seatbelts and climb out of his black SUV.  Zoro checks the small trailer hitched to at the back, satisfied to find everything in good order.  His eye is caught by the sight of Law turning his head in wonderment, staring across the vast desert.

“Pretty, huh?” Zoro says with a smirk as he leans into a stretch.

“Breathtaking,” Law mutters, gaze still turned to the distance.  He looks back at Zoro. “Can’t believe you grew up here.”

“Sometimes I can’t either.”  Zoro searches around, noticing quite a few cars in the driveway and in the street.  Seems Luffy might have invited a couple people to greet them. He smirks. Course he did.  “Let’s head in.”

As they make their way to the door, Zoro quickly locates a doorbell and jabs it, crossing his arms as he waits.  He glances back to Law hovering over his shoulder and gives him a warning, “Haven’t seen some folks in awhile. Might get loud.”

“That’s fine,” Law dismisses amiably.  “No louder than your sailor friends.”

“You’d be surprised.”

“ _Zoro!”_

Chuckling as he hears a familiar yell, Zoro braces himself for the inevitable as the big, wooden door swings open and quick as lightning, Luffy is attached to him, arms wrapping him in a constricting hug.

“Haven’t seen you since forever ago!” Luffy says excitedly, disentangling himself from Zoro and counting on his fingers. “Usopp’s here, Nami’s here, Brook’s here -- have you met Brook? Well whatever. He’s also here…”

“Oh my god,” Nami calls from behind, strutting outside. “Let me get a look at you.” She eyes him up and down before holding out her hand expectantly. “Fork it over. A hundred bucks. Now.”

“Hundred bucks?” Zoro gives her an incredulous look as he steps into the house, unable to keep the grin off his face.  “What’re you going on about?”

“Lent it to you in high school for gas and beer. Never paid me back.”

Zoro scratches his head, searching his memory for what she could be talking about as she follows in behind him.  “You gave me _forty_ bucks.”

She flips back around into his space, pointing to his chest with a shrewd grin. “So you _do_ remember. And interest has collected over the years.”

“Navy filled you out even more, huh?” Usopp says, admiring Zoro’s muscles and patting him on the back with a wide smile. “Been so long! Missed you man.” He looks to Zoro’s face, eyes widening at his left eye. “Crazy scar!”

“A story for later,” Zoro comments as he wraps his arm around Usopp’s shoulder.  “Good seein’ you.”

“Who’re you?”

Zoro glances over his shoulder and spots Luffy jutting out a hand to Law. “Sorry,” he says quickly, tugging away from Usopp and twisting back to them.  “This is Law.” He nods towards his friend. “Law, that’s Luffy.”

“Law?” Luffy asks with a raised eyebrow.  “Law… oh! Your boyfriend, right?” He shakes Law’s hand violently.  “I heard about you!”

Law steals his hand back the moment he can, taking a step inside the house behind Zoro, giving the group of them a small wave.  “Nice to meet you,” he says to them collectively, eyes connecting with Zoro’s.

Zoro gives him an apologetic grin in return, amused when Luffy shuts the door behind them all and stands on his toes to hang an arm over Law’s shoulder.  

“Welcome to Whiskey Peak! You’ll love it!”

A soft, unfamiliar laugh steals Zoro’s attention and he spots a thin man with dark sunglasses sitting across the room.  He’s dressed eccentrically, his crossed legs covered in bright teal pants and his top black with billowing orange sleeves.  Seems straight out of the seventies. “Let the poor men come inside before you assault them,” the man scolds as he shakes his head and stands.  He’s incredibly tall -- even more so than Law, who towers a good four inches over Zoro. The man acknowledges the two of them, “Would you two like some water? Tea?”

Shrugging out of Luffy’s hold, Law scurries away from the throng of old friends, taking the man up on the offer. “Tea would be wonderful.”  

The man gives him a soft smile, beckoning Law towards what Zoro assumes to be the kitchen.  They talk amongst themselves, most likely making introductions. Guy must be the owner of the house -- Brook, if memory serves him right.  Luffy’s mentioned him a few times in their brief conversations.

Nami and Usopp both reel Zoro into a tight circle with their arms hooked over his neck. Luffy tries to pry his way in as they barrage him with questions.

“Boyfriend?” Usopp says with a curious gleam in his eyes.

“Luffy never mentioned a boyfriend,” Nami comments in tandem, a more evil glint reflecting in hers. “Luffy only told us you were coming back yesterday actually.”

Finally Luffy squishes himself under the circle, standing and forcing them all to step back, breaking them up entirely. “I mentioned it! Didn’t I?” he asks, scratching his chin.

“Tell us everything,” Nami demands, rolling her eyes at Luffy and crossing her arms.

Zoro sighs and rubs the back of his neck.  “What’s to tell? Been together a couple years.” He pauses, moving his hand up to scratch his head, searching for more information to give.  “He’s from Virginia.”

“A couple years!” Usopp exclaims shrilly, before looking around self-consciously and hunching forward to reiterate more quietly. “A couple years?”

Nami stares at Zoro intensely. “We have a lot of catching up to do. Let’s grab you a beer, pal.”

“Fuck yeah,” Zoro agrees as he follows Nami to the kitchen, mouth watering at the thought of a brew.  Took them two painfully sober days of driving. He spots Law and who he assumed to be Brook leaned against a kitchen island, deep in conversation over two cups of tea.

“Ah, Zoro!” Brook says cheerfully as he notices them walk into the room.  “So glad to finally meet you. I was just telling Law here that Luffy’s talked non-stop of you all day.”

“That so?” Zoro says with a smirk, greedily accepting the beer Nami offers him from the fridge.  Twisting off the bottle cap, he takes a long swig. A lager. His favorite. “Nice place you got here.”

“Make yourself at home. Stay as long as you need.”  Brook glances down at the black watch on his thin wrist, eyebrows raising when he reads the face.  “Seems I’m going to be late for a booking. We will have to talk more tomorrow.”

The man bids his farewell with everyone, disappearing out the door.  Zoro raises an eyebrow at Luffy, who simply explains, “Brook’s a musician.  Probably has a show tonight.”

“Explains a lot,” Law says quietly, motioning to a far wall decorated with patterns of sheet music and an antiquated guitar.

Following Law’s gesturing, Usopp steps in and offers a polite hand in greeting. “I’m Usopp. Nice to meet you Law.” They shake hands for a brief moment before releasing them. “Sorry I didn’t introduce myself earlier. Haven’t seen Zoro in a real long time. Cool tattoos, by the way.”

Law glances down at his tattooed forearms and hands before nodding coolly.  “Thanks.”

Beside Usopp, Nami’s eyes are scanning Law over before she gives him a cordial handshake as well. With a playful grin she says, “Shocked Zoro came back with a boyfriend to be honest. I’m Nami.”

Law’s expression remains blank, glancing to his partner with an eyebrow raised.  “Have heard about you both,” he says as he retracts his hand and picks up his mug of tea.  As he takes a sip, he speaks dully, “Sometimes I’m shocked too.”

“He’s always been an idiot,” Nami responds with a firm nod.

“I’m right here,” Zoro growls at the remark, taking another swig of his beer.  He turns his scowl on Law, who avoids eye contact and continues sipping his tea.  “Goes for you too.”

“A hundred bucks by the end of the week,” Nami reiterates coldly, skirting his comment completely.

“Forty.”

Finishing his tea, Law quietly rinses out his cup as Zoro and Nami haggle more.  He makes his way around the island to Zoro’s side, grabbing his attention with a gentle bump of his shoulder.  “We should unload our things before it’s too dark.”

Peering out a kitchen window, Zoro spies that the burning sunset has settled into dusk-hued skies, rapidly darkening the desert.  He nods in agreement as Luffy and Usopp quickly offer to help. The four of them make their way back to the front, Law and Usopp carrying in a few bags from the back of the SUV as Luffy assists in unhooking the small trailer and positioning it to an empty space in the gravel.

Wiping his hands on his pants, Zoro pauses for a beat, taking in the quiet moment with his best friend.  Though Luffy’s visited him few times over the last several years, it’s been forever since he’s come home and seen the man, let alone live in the same place.  A smile forms on his lips as he takes in the comfort of how easily things seem to be sliding back into groove. No awkwardness between the two of them at all.  He knows he’s been terrible at keeping up with people -- was never really his strong suit. They could’ve easily grown apart.

His smile falters slightly as he realizes that while Luffy’s accepted him back completely, there’s a member of their childhood trio that’s noticeably missing.  Mulling it over, he’s unsure if he and that person will mesh at all, given the long years between their last contact. Clicking the lock button on the remote of Law’s keys, Zoro tucks them back into his pocket as he asks curiously, “How’s blondie been?”

“Good. Still working at Zeff’s,” Luffy states, shrugging and putting his hands in his pockets. Then he stirs, eyes wide with recognition. “Oh! He’s there now! Zeff’s probably not there right now. We should totally go ambush him!”

Zoro cracks his neck and finds his gaze caught by the bright stars forming in the darkening sky. Been a long couple days of driving and there’s the time difference to consider but the proposal of paying a visit to that nostalgic place is too good to pass up.  He’s intrigued at the thought of meeting up with their old friend. Plus he could use a good, strong drink. “Yeah,” he agrees with a smirk. “Let’s go see that bastard.”

 

Sitting behind the empty bar with his palm pressed into his chin, Sanji is busying himself writing up a beer order for their next shipment. Zeff headed home an hour ago, closing the kitchen for the night and leaving Sanji with the bar for the remainder of the business’s scheduled hours. It’s a Tuesday night, so the place is empty as expected. He’ll probably be closing early tonight.

Looking up from his notepad, Sanji takes in the familiar neon signs and beer logos littering the old wooden walls. He notices a light bulb flickering from the stain glass lamp illuminating the pool table. Another bulb to change, he ponders boredly.

The place is a dive. But it’s Zeff’s and he’s fond of it. It swells with nostalgia. He grew up scurrying around on these same floorboards long ago, often with his friends. It’s a familiar space to him. Sometimes too familiar, he laments. Lonely nights like tonight drive that point home quite painfully.

Getting up to turn off the radio and slowly begin his closing duties in silence, Sanji is surprised when he hears loud voices at the bar’s entrance, some of them recognizable. Suddenly Luffy bursts through the door, nearly knocking the thing off its hinges.

“Luffy!” Sanji calls angrily. “Zeff’ll kick your ass if you fuck up that door again!"

“Look what I brought!” Luffy steps out the doorway, motioning behind him wildly.  “A Zoro!”

Sanji pauses his rant, keeping his eyes on an all too familiar face appearing through the door over Luffy’s shoulder. He can’t help the grin on his face, eyes softening as they connect with Zoro’s smug expression. Damn. It’s been so long. The man has filled out even more, muscles practically bulging out of his navy tee. Sanji notices with a twang of shock the new scar over Zoro’s eye. Another one to add to that ever-growing collection. He thinks back to the man’s chest scar, feeling extremely sentimental all of a sudden. He’s looking good, better than Sanji expected somehow.

“I’d know that green hair anywhere,” Sanji says with a subtle smirk as Zoro approaches, another man he doesn’t recognize drifting in from behind. “Been a while, Mossy.”

“A good while,” Zoro comments as he makes it to the bar, gripping Sanji’s offered hand and leaning across the wood surface to give the man a one armed hug.  As he pulls away, he looks his old friend up and down. Still the same ol’ Sanji, albeit much older than when they last saw one another. Little more facial hair than he remembers and his hair is parted on the other side.  Still scrawny as shit. Zoro crosses his arms, taking in the sight for a brief moment before he gestures to the bottles lined up behind the man. “How ‘bout a couple rounds?”

Sanji smirks with a snort. “Haven’t changed. Captain Dark on the rocks?”

“You know it.”  Zoro takes a seat in one of the barstools as Luffy and Law join him on either side.  His gaze drifts from Sanji to the look over the dusty bar, a familiar warmth filling his chest at the sight.  The place looks exactly the same as it always had -- same worn pool table in the corner and old pinball machine against the far wall.  He’d spent a lot of time here as a kid, running around with Luffy and Sanji as the old men in their lives played poker. Feels surreal to be back in this bar after so many years gone.

Sanji grabs a rocks glass, fills it with ice and pours swiftly and generously from the spout of the appropriate bottle. He grabs three coasters and doles them out, placing Zoro’s drink in front of him. Then he reaches down to swing open the beer fridge door and grab a tallboy of Pabst Blue Ribbon, cracks it open and puts it over Luffy’s coaster. Finally, he turns to the stranger sitting to Zoro’s right and offers his hand genially.

“Sanji,” he greets, looking into the man’s grey eyes. The man gives him a firm shake back before retreating his arms behind the bar.

“Law.”

“What would you like to drink?” Sanji asks.

Law’s eyes scan the bottles.  “Crown on the rocks.”

“You got it.” As he pours Law his drink, Sanji says to Luffy. “Never told me you’d be crashing here. Lucky for you I was bored.” He gently places Law’s glass down in front of him atop the coaster.

“You’re always bored,” Luffy says with a large grin. “That’s why I gotta crash you at work all the time!”  He takes a long drink from his can before sliding back the stool and hopping up. “Ah, shit guys! I gotta go beat my score.”

“Bored, huh?” Zoro quips as he watches Luffy take off towards the ancient pinball machine and excitedly start it up, the recognizable music filling his ears.  Shifting back to Sanji, he nods his head towards Law. “You’ll get along with this one then.”

“Wouldn’t be so bored if you weren’t so dull,” Law deadpans back, sipping his whiskey and studying the glass.  His face shifts into an amused smirk when Zoro digs an elbow into his side playfully.

Sanji looks between the two curiously, thinking Law must be a navy friend from Zoro’s long years away, before hearing a noise by the door. Just someone passing by, but it prompts him to walk out from behind the bar, putting his hands up to them to bear with him a moment. “Gonna close up now. We got some catching up to do.” He locks the door, turns off the open sign and strolls back behind the bar. Pulling out a rocks glass, he fills it halfway from the only bottle of wine in the bar. He’s got no customers coming through here that would drink the stuff, it’s only ever ordered for him.

Pulling up a stool, Sanji sits in front of the men behind the bar, engaging in conversation once there’s a break. “So Law,” he says, catching the man’s attention. “Let me guess. Navy friend visiting?”

“Not quite,” Law says with a sigh, giving Zoro a glare as he sets down his drink.  “Seems Zoro has made this a bit awkward for everyone by not telling his friends that he’d be moving back with a significant other.”

Sanji’s nods, trying to be polite and not to show the surprise on his face. Even Zoro’s got a boyfriend, and from the sounds of it, a serious relationship no less. He takes a long swig from his wine, looking between the two as Zoro begins to speak.

“Met when I was stationed in Norfolk,” Zoro offers as he empties his glass.  “Not Navy. Law’s a drug dealer.”

Sanji raises a brow and shrugs, looking to Luffy. “Get plenty of business around here.”

“Pharmacist,” Law corrects with a scowl, resting his arms on the bartop.  He shakes his head, grumbling bitterly, “Haven’t heard that joke before.”

Laughing slightly at the play on words, Sanji responds, “Oh, pharmacist, huh? We could use more of them around here.” Taking Law’s nod as all the response he’ll get, he looks to Zoro, connecting his eyes with the coal black. He expresses softly with an amazed laugh, “Man, I haven’t seen you since graduation. Crazy stuff.”

“Feels weird being back,” Zoro agrees as he leans forward on the bar, fiddling with his coaster.  He glances to Luffy’s abandoned beer and reaches for it, finishing it off with a large gulp. Setting down the empty can, he sighs and rubs his eyes, “Can’t believe everyone’s still around.”

“I guess we all got a little comfortable,” Sanji says distantly, eyes traveling to the all too familiar sight of Luffy hunched over the pinball machine. “Nothing wrong with that. But I don’t know if I’ll be sticking around much longer.”

Interest piqued, Zoro lifts his gaze from the bartop to meet Sanji’s.  “That so?” he asks, sitting up and crossing his arms. “Not much out there.  Feels better being home.”

“Fair enough,” Sanji says smoothly. Eyeing Zoro’s empty glass, he smirks and grabs the bottle of Captain Dark, pouring him another drink and setting it down on the bar counter between them. Still drinks like a fish after all these years. He looks between Zoro and his partner, the sight and reality of it still blowing his mind and causing a wistful pang. “Guess it’s just getting to be too many years here for me. Looking for a change.”

“Change is good,” Law agrees thoughtfully as he gives Sanji a calm smile.  “Spent thirty years in Virginia. Glad to have trekked out here now.”

Sanji nods at Law with a friendly smile. Crossing one leg over the other, he settles into the conversation more comfortably. “You’ll like it here. It’s pretty. Get used to the dry air,” he says with a laugh.

“Usopp and Nami seem the same.”  Zoro takes a drink from his glass, changing the subject back to their other friends.  “Saw them earlier. Didn’t wanna come out tonight.”

Eyes brightening, Sanji gives Zoro an excited look. “Oh them? They’ve been going through a lot of changes lately, actually.”

Zoro raises an eyebrow, setting his drink down as he gives Sanji an expectant look.  “What d’ya mean?”

Sanji points to Luffy and then to himself. “We think they’ve been hooking up or something. There’s just a vibe. Haven’t been able to get much info out of them. I’m not surprised they went off by themselves.”

“Alright then,” Zoro accepts the information with a grin.  Finishing the dredges of his glass and setting it down with a thud, he stands and grips his belt.  “Gotta piss,” he explains to the two of them and shuffles off to the bathrooms, leaving Law behind shaking his head.

Sanji mirrors Law’s actions, saying amusedly, “He really hasn’t changed.” Noting the dull silence falling between them as the pinball machine’s cheesy music and clangs resound in the background, Sanji decides to make small talk and gather some information while he can. “So how did you two meet?”

“I was a pharmacist at Walgreens, ” Law placidly explains, idly tapping his fingers on the bartop.  “Had a lot of Navy clientele because we took their insurance.” He grins. “He had a repeat athlete’s foot issue.  Saw him every other week.”

Sanji lets out a short guffaw. “What a moron.” Another short pause before he questions. “How long ago was that?”

“Two years or so.”

Sanji mulls over the information before smiling gently. The two of them seem happy, it’s a strange but pleasant sight, especially to see his grumpy childhood friend so comfortable and warm around another person. “You’re happy with him?”

Law tilts his head slightly, pausing his tapping fingers as he slowly nods.  “I am. He’s easy to be around.” Picking up his glass of Crown, he finishes off the final sip.  “He spent a lot of those two years out at sea. We’re still getting used to being around each other for normal lengths of time.”

Pouring Law another round even as the man protests, Sanji responds with a light chuckle, “I guess moving to the other side of the country with him is a pretty good step. He’s a good guy though. He seems happy to be with you. I’m glad for you both.”

Zoro steps back into the main room from the bathroom, spotting his partner and Sanji having a conversation at the bar.  He grins at the sight, sneaking up behind Law and placing an arm around his shoulder as he settles back on his stool. “Talking shit?” he asks Sanji.  He turns to Law, motioning at the man across from them. “This guy’s always had a lot to say about me.”

“That’s what you get for having a weak bladder,” Sanji chides.

“See?”

Law laughs smoothly as he takes another drink of his Crown.  He connects his gaze with Zoro’s and comments dryly, “Surprised you haven’t been asked to explain your eye yet. Your friends are inquisitive.”

Sanji eyes the newcomer’s comment with an amused expression, before butting in with comedic timing, “Hey!” he points, feigning shock. “What’s with the eye?”

The three of them laugh as Zoro shakes his head.  Apparently done with his game, Luffy bounds back to their group excitedly, shouting in victory.  “Beat my own high score! What up!”

“Congratulations, Luffy. Now you have the top ten high scores,” Sanji comments drolly.

Law smirks and shrugs out of Zoro’s hold.  “I can change that,” he mutters quietly as he shuffles towards the machine.

“Watch out, Luffy,” Zoro says with a snort as he watches his partner starting up a new game.  “Law’s weirdly good at arcade games.” He laughs harder as Luffy gasps and twists on his heel, chasing after the man and excitedly shouts at him from the sidelines.

“Don’t,” Law scolds, holding up a hand as Luffy leans over the machine too far.

Sanji peers over his friend to get a look at Zoro’s boyfriend. The man is tall and lanky with some good muscle to him, his dark grey t-shirt showing off several tattoos along his hands and forearms. He sports short black messy hair similar to Luffy’s, his gait unique and quiet as his impressively long legs drift over to the pinball machine.

Watching as Luffy catches up to Law, Sanji purses his lips in contemplation. “I’m not sure if Luffy will love him or hate him if he wins.”

“Entertaining either way.”

Topping up Zoro’s glass and his own, Sanji settles back in his stool and takes a slow sip from his wine. “What brought you back? Homesick, are you?”

Zoro tilts his glass to Sanji in thanks and takes a drink.  “Saw too much of the world,” he explains as he leans forward, resting his forearms on the edge of the bar.  “Didn’t know what to do after the Navy. Figured I’d come back here.”

“Your eye,” Sanji points out, gesturing to the man’s face. “They discharge you for that?”

“Lost partial vision,” Zoro motions to the scar, a frown forming on his face.  It’s still a sore topic for him. When he had enlisted in the service, he figured it would be his career.  Spent six years as an electrician before a freak incident caused him the injury. “Shop accident, nothing exciting.  Warranted a medical discharge.”

“Sorry to hear that,” Sanji apologizes, completely heartfelt. “Kind of like my old man,” he says idly, noticing that it’s a sore topic for Zoro, which is fully understandable. “He’s going to have a fit when he sees you. Two reject squids in one place.”

“Lookin’ forward to seeing him.” Zoro always found old man Zeff easy to be around -- much easier than his own father.  He grimaces at the thought. “Gotta see my dad too.”

“Well, got plenty of time for that. So what about work? Got anything lined up?” Sanji questions, pulling up an ashtray and lighting up a cigarette. Legally no smoking allowed in the bar, but after-hours to himself or his friends, Sanji never cares. It’s too old and dingy for him to worry about it unless they’re to get some kind of renovation one day. Zeff doesn’t mind.

“Not yet,” Zoro admits with a scowl, resting one hand on his thigh as he leans on his elbow.  He finds himself wondering why it seems so easy to sit here and talk with Sanji. Years ago he would have never guessed this.  He swirls the rum in his glass as he clarifies further, “Got a good chunk saved up.” The smell of smoke fills his nostrils and he glances up to find Sanji puffing on a cigarette. Still got that habit.  “Need to figure it all out.”

“Shouldn’t take long.” Sanji shrugs, exhaling towards the ceiling. “Take it easy until then. Do some hiking. You always liked that.”

“Yeah,” he agrees with a shrug as he takes a long drink from his glass.  A loud shout steals his attention back to the pinball machine, smiling as he sees Luffy excitedly rattling the game as Law stands there smirking with his arms crossed.  He shifts his stare back to Sanji. “Hiking, camping. Missed all that shit.”

“Oh, he won,” Sanji says distractedly, smirking wide. Turning back to Zoro, he responds, “Didn’t have that in Virginia?”

“Not where I was.  And I spent a lot of time underway.”

“Nothing like a good hike around here, anyway. Haven’t been out in those rocks for too long. Reminds me of when we were kids,” Sanji reflects, mind full of fond memories of them as children, camping and hiking with Luffy and their dads out in the mountains. Exploring on their own sometimes and getting in trouble for it. Zeff always used to tell him he’d get caught by a coyote when he was really young and dragged off like the little eggplant he was. “Remember that time...”  

Zoro feels a hand gently rest on his shoulder and leans back against the thin frame he knows it belongs to.  He tilts his head back, finding Law peering down at him, the dark bags under his eyes deeper than normal.

“It’s like two in the morning east coast time,” Law says with a somber look.  “Mind if we go crash?”

Finishing off the last of his drink, Zoro gives Sanji an apologetic look.  It’s been fun catching up and reminiscing with the man but there’ll be more time for that later.  He stands from the barstool, digging the keys from his pocket. “Should talk more,” he comments to Sanji as he hands Law the keys and finds his wallet.  “Tab?”

“On me,” Sanji responds with a wave of his hand. “Stop by anytime.”

“Next one’s on me,” Zoro retorts with a sharp nod.  He wraps an arm around Law’s waist and calls over to Luffy.  “It’s late. Let’s head back.”

Sanji watches them leave, the door clattering closed in that typical manner it does. Door’s in need of a fix, too. The silence of the bar becomes oppressive and heavy as he puts the empty cups through the glass washer, taking a large swig from his own and placing it inside as well. Then he goes about his closing tasks, clearing off the bar and wiping it down. Tonight he’s feeling extra somber, deciding to give the floor a good sweep and doing any other menial chore it takes to stay in his mind a little longer.

He’s glad things between him and Zoro aren’t awkward and they seem to be picking up off good footing. The years between them are lengthy, probably long enough to resolve old tensions from his stupider years. Sanji knows that he’s changed a lot since high school. He laughs to himself. Zoro hasn’t really changed all that much, but that’s typical. The guy always has been sturdy in his personality. Always knew who he was, never let anyone tear him down for it.

The only real change is that he has a boyfriend at his side, a relationship that’s clearly serious and worth preserving. Zoro never did seem the relationship type so he can’t say he’s not shocked. Yet seeing it in front of him tonight, he definitely thinks it makes more sense than initially imagined. He seemed comfortable and content. Sanji is happy for them both and he’s interested in seeing how they’ll assimilate together in Whiskey Peak.

Before he knows it, it’s nearly one in the morning. How did two hours pass so quickly? He notices a text from Nami wondering what’s holding him up at work on a Tuesday night so he texts her back, telling her he’ll be home in the next couple hours. The emptiness in his chest is prominent. He’s feeling like a drive tonight. Some road therapy always hits him just right.

After locking everything up, Sanji flicks the bud of a cigarette into the nearby garbage and heads to his parked white Jeep. He wastes no time turning on the engine, plugging in his phone and putting on some music for the road. Then he drives off into the dead of night, out of his hometown and alone with his contemplations in the desert. The familiar silhouettes of sprawling hills out his windows and the vastness of the stars beyond his sunroof weigh him down in his seat as he ponders his night and his future.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Bright sunlight spills into the foreign bedroom and stirs Zoro from his deep sleep.  He rolls onto his side and stretches his arm across the mattress, frowning slightly as he feels the sheets next to him are empty.  Eyes finally fluttering open, he realizes he’s laying on his right side and the focus of his vision is off. A sharp exhale. Still not completely used to the blindness in his left eye.  Can hardly see a thing.

Sitting up groggily, he runs a hand through his hair as he blinks until he can see clearly.  An amused snort sounds from across the room and he finds Law leaned against the doorway, toothbrush and toothpaste in hand as his stare is fixated on him.

“Should get those glasses the doctor prescribed,” he criticizes as he closes the door behind him, setting his toiletries on top of a bureau within reach.  He twists back to Zoro, resting a hand lightly on his hip. “Can’t keep going on half blind.”

“Too early for a lecture,” Zoro groans as he lays back down and closes his eyes again, stretching an arm out and patting the empty bedside.  A grin tugs at the corners of his mouth as he feels the weight of his partner dip onto the bed and his slender body slides within his reach. Ensnaring the man by the waist, Zoro drags Law under the covers and presses his mouth against cold skin.

“Which suitcase is the lube in?” he murmurs teasingly into Law’s ear, teeth nipping at the two cuffs on the lobe.

“The backpack,” Law responds with a hum, flipping the blanket off of them both and standing to search for the bag.

Reaching a hand into his boxer-briefs, Zoro grips his hardening length as his stare is glued to the bulge forming in his partner’s plaid pajama pants.  Law glances over his shoulder and their eyes connect, a deep lust clouding the steely gaze that causes a shiver to run down Zoro’s spine. He doesn’t even blink, just continues to stroke himself idly as Law finds the bag he needs, unzips, and retrieves the small bottle.

Back at the side of the bed, Law tosses the lube to onto the mattress and slides down his pants. He climbs over Zoro and straddles him, running his hands over the mangled scar displayed across his naked chest.  Their arousals grind against each other, pulling a groan from deep in Zoro’s throat.

All it takes is one glimpse of the subtle smirk dancing on his boyfriend’s features and Zoro’s hands are on his hips, flipping him over with ease, and grinning at the wide-eyed look he receives when Law’s back hits the mattress.  He connects their lips, their kisses fervent, the taste so familiar. The pace of their intimacy is well-known. Tattooed hands against Zoro’s skin, scratching gently at his back. In a flash, Zoro’s fingers are wet with lube and preparing Law with practiced ease.  Once he receives an urgent scratch deeper in his shoulder, he knows it's time to move forward, tugging down his underwear and freeing his erection. Stopping briefly for a little more lube, he lines up and presses into Law as two long legs hook over his shoulders.

Quiet grunts and groans fill the air as they move against one another, Law gripping his forearms tightly as a light sheen of sweat forms on his forehead.  Zoro leans forward, bending the man with him as he steals a kiss once again, mouths moving ardently as their pleasure escalates until they’re both left sharing shaky breaths. Snaking a hand between them, Zoro brings his partner to simultaneous orgasm as a substantial groan crosses his own lips.  They both remain still for a brief moment, chests heaving in unison until Law motions he’s ready to disconnect. Zoro obliges, his sweaty back hitting the cool sheets again and he stares at the ceiling, much more motivated to start his day.

“What’re your plans?” Law eventually asks in a low voice as he stretches over Zoro’s still naked body to grab his discarded pajamas from the floor.

“Dunno,” Zoro answers as Law pulls on his pants and sits up.  He studies the messy head of black hair fondly and reaches up, tracing a finger across the dark curves of the large tattoo displayed across his boyfriend’s shoulder blades.  “Might go look at that truck.”

Law nods in response as he scoots to the end of the bed and stands, crossing to a suitcase situated in the corner and kneeling to unzip it.  “I have my face-to-face interview with the pharmacy today,” he offers as he stacks a small pile of clothes next to him, holding up a button-up shirt and frowning at its wrinkled state.  “Do you want me to find your clothes?”

“Nah,” Zoro responds as he watches his partner’s methodical movements with amusement.  “Grab ‘em myself.”

Rising to his feet, Law bundles his things and leaves the room, muttering about showers and irons as he disappears down the hall.  Zoro lays in a half doze, the last two days of travel and the time change have him lulling in bed longer than he was used to on Navy time.  He doesn’t open his eyes again until he hears Law re-enter the room, scurrying around in an unbuttoned shirt and searching for loafers and a tie.

“Need me to do anything today?” Zoro yawns loudly, stretching and scratching his armpit.  He catches a whiff of himself and resolves to find the energy to get up and shower.

“No,” Law retorts tersely as he fastens his silver watch around his wrist.  He glances over his shoulder, his strained expression softening slightly. “Visit with your friends.”

Zoro gives him a grateful nod.  Law has spent the last couple months mapping out this move, having found a local drug store in need of a new pharmacist.  Always a careful planner, he’d managed to talk to the owner of the business over the phone and sell himself very well as a front running candidate for the position.  Despite not having a guaranteed job lined up, he was still willing to make the move. That level of confidence in his experience and skills has always impressed Zoro and made his chest swell with pride.

He’s pulled from his thoughts as Law looms over the bedside, adjusting the cuffs on his charcoal shirt.  “I’m off,” he simply states as he reaches forward, resting a hand on Zoro’s shoulder. “See you later.”

After a light pat to his boyfriend’s hand, Zoro watches Law take his leave once again, the sound of his loafers echoing in the hall until the front door swings open and closes with a gentle latch.  Sighing heavily and finally sitting on the edge of the bed, he runs a hand through his hair. Getting long in the back. He leans into a stretch and closes his eyes, enjoying the cracking of his spine. Eyes opening again and finding the phone on the wooden nightstand, he presses the button to light up the screen and squints at the time.  Damn. Already half past nine. Seems to be a couple texts for him to read too, probably folks finding out he’s home. At last he rises out of bed and maneuvers around the room, locating his duffle and retrieving everything he needs to start his first full day home.

 

 

“Do you want strawberry banana or orange yogurt this time, Nams?”

Nami scrunches her nose, glancing over Sanji’s shoulder as she shakes her head. “Neither. Get key lime.”

Nodding, Sanji picks up several of the small containers and places them in the cart. So she’s in the mood for key lime this week. He goes grocery shopping with Nami every Wednesday morning, it’s their routine since they both have jobs where they mostly work evenings and weekends. Nami is a server at a local pub and restaurant. Peering down at his organized list, he moves onto the cheese section as Nami dawdles behind, completely immersed in her phone.

“So you saw Zoro last night?” Nami asks casually as she taps away on her screen, following Sanji.

“Yeah, he showed up with his boyfriend and Luffy,” Sanji responds casually.

Nami puts down her phone and reaches forward, grabbing Sanji by the sleeve of his hoodie.  “Oh my _god_. Sanji.”  She stares at him wide-eyed as he turns to acknowledge her. “You met the boyfriend?”

Sanji rubs his neck with a nervous smile, already knowing where his roommate is going with this. “Yeah. Seemed nice?”

“Nice?” she asks incredulously, raising a sharp eyebrow.  “He was bizarre.”

“Maybe a little bizarre, yeah,” Sanji says agreeably, turning back to his list and pulling the cart further along the dairy aisle as he stares at the cheese selection.

“Did he talk to you?” Nami continues to question, putting her hands on her hips. “Get pepperjack. Anyway, he didn’t talk to us like, at all.”

“Sure.” Picking up the pepperjack cheese, Sanji adds it to their cart. He glances at her, watching her light brown eyes gleam with a passionate curiosity. “We talked a bit. He’s a pharmacist, told me about that a little.”

Nami hurriedly unlocks her phone, scrolling through it quickly. “Well, I did some light stalking on Facebook last night,” she explains with triumph in her voice, eyes darting over the screen.  She rattles off information, “Worked at Walgreens, went to a couple different colleges, no past relationships that I could see but that could be a privacy thing.” She pauses and twists the device to show Sanji a glimpse of the profile. “Who _is_ this guy?”

Not surprised in the slightest that Nami has obsessed this much over Zoro’s ‘new’ boyfriend, Sanji offers a polite smile at her frustrations. He knows this is her way of showing concern and so, hoping to put her at ease, he says calmly, “Zoro seemed happy with him last night.”

“Did he?” Nami asks curiously as she continues scrolling through Law’s information. “They didn’t talk much around me last night.  I wouldn’t have known they were together if Zoro hadn’t said something.”

Sanji reflects on the previous night, the way the couple had talked, touched and joked. “They seemed comfortable at Zeff’s. But when you saw them, it was Zoro’s first time back with everyone. Maybe that kind of split them up a bit?”

“There’s only one pic of them together on Facebook,” Nami observes with a huff, ignoring Sanji’s explanation entirely.  She scoots up next to him, tilting her phone to show him the photo. “Just one? After _years_ of dating?”

Sanji shrugs helplessly, stating quietly, “Maybe he’s just not into Facebook?”

“Be evil with me Sanji!”

Laughing anxiously, Sanji finishes scoping out a carton of eggs and places them in the front part of the cart for safekeeping. “He’s kind of weird. He beat Luffy at pinball.”

“Okay, now _that’s_ weird,” Nami agrees as she tucks her phone back into the pocket of her sweats with a sigh.  “Why didn’t Zoro tell us? I texted him sometimes.”

Sanji scowls, clambering on with the cart. “What a jackass, not responding to you like that. I’m still wrapping my head around the fact that the idiot is serious with somebody.”

“I know.” Nami stops in front of a section of cookies, eyeing them with interest.  “No, I’m on a diet,” she resolves in a low voice before trudging on.

“I can make you some low-fat cookies, Nams,” Sanji chimes in brightly. “Oatmeal?”

“Yes!” She directs him towards the baking aisle, bringing up the previous conversation again as they walk. “Anyway, if Zoro can get someone to like him then you definitely need a boyfriend.”

Sanji chuckles, brushing some stray hairs from the bridge of his nose. “That’s definitely true. But not much to choose from around here.”

“I can help you make a Tindr.”

“Didn’t you make me one before?” Sanji asks with a thoughtful look, laughing as he finishes picking up all the baking ingredients he needs for Nami’s favorite cookies.

“Well, whatever! Use it or something.  Maybe someone else has popped up.” Nami gives him a cheeky grin.  As they make their way to the checkout lines, a familiar laugh sounds over to them with the owner’s booming voice echoing across the linoleum.

“I love that flavor! These are the best chips ever!”

Sanji shakes his head as they get in line, seeing that Luffy’s making fast friends at the end of their checkout lane, bagging the groceries of a family of four. He leans over to Nami with an amused grin. “Looks like we got Luffy today. I’ll make sure he doesn’t explode your yogurt this time.”

“You’d better. I’m craving that key lime.”

The consecutive beeps get louder as the line recedes and the cashier begins scanning their items. After politely greeting their cashier and noticing Luffy waving excitedly at them, Sanji quips to their friend, “Hey, Luff. Knock over any pickle jar shelves today?”

“That was one time,” Luffy says with a pout, dropping a jar of mayonnaise into the bag he just placed the eggs in.

Sanji hustles over, huffing and taking out the jar with a scowl. “Moron. You’ll break the eggs.”

“Sorry, sorry!” Luffy apologizes, continuing on with bagging their groceries.

“You like arcade games, right? Think of it like Tetris,” Sanji says, exasperation in his tone.

Luffy sticks out his tongue, shaking his head with a disgusted face.  “Tetris is boring.”

“Think of it as Street Fighter, then,” Nami pipes in from where she’s staring at the grocery total on the small screen.  She lifts her eyes and raises a fist at Luffy. “I’ll knock you out if you break any of my eggs.”

Sanji gives her a high five before stepping in to deal with the grocery total as Luffy grumbles and delicately places the eggs in a separate bag. He tends to buy the groceries since Nami pays for Netflix. After the transaction is complete and his receipt is handed to him, Luffy is still bagging and they shuffle to the side awkwardly to wait for him.

“So guys, are you coming to my house?” he asks as he places the last bag in their grocery cart, giving them a beaming smile. “Barbeque tonight!”

“Luffy, for the billionth time, you know I work at night,” Sanji explains drolly. “So does Nami.”

“Aw, bummer. When are you off?”

“Probably late. Past midnight.”

Nami gives Sanji a curious look at that. “Seriously, on a weeknight? I don’t get what holds you up in that dive. I get off at ten at the latest.”

“Damn man, guess it’s just me, Zoro, and the other guy chowing down!” Luffy says with laugh as he begins bagging the next customer’s groceries.

“‘The other guy,’” Sanji repeats incredulously with a shake of his head.

Nami butts in with a devilish grin, “Heard he beat you a pinball, Luffy. What’d you think of that?”

Luffy drops the jar he’s bagging with a loud thump and twists on his heel to face Nami.  “I’m gonna beat that score, damnit!” he announces fiercely, features set in determination. “He won’t be number one for long.”

“Okay. You do that. Bye, weirdo,” Nami says, waving with Sanji as they walk away hurriedly, not eager to catch Luffy getting grilled by a customer for being careless with their purchases.

 

 

Zoro grins to himself as he feels the bumps and dips of the well-traveled road, windows rolled down taking in the fresh Arizona air as he drives into town.  An old buddy of his friend group’s was more than happy to sell him a beat up truck he had sitting on his lot for a pretty decent price. Luckily Franky was able to meet during a quick lunch break, the elementary school he works at just down the road from his home.  Luffy had put Zoro in contact with him last night when he’d heard that he’d need a set a wheels. Seems the guy’s got friends in all the right places.

Slowing down for a four-way stop, Zoro takes the moment to look out to the immense desert terrain, seemingly limitless until it hits the foot of massive red, rocky canyon peaks in the distance.  The burnt orange formations are a staple of his childhood and seeing them now causes a warm comfort to glow in his chest. After so many years at sea, the dry landscape is a change he welcomes wholeheartedly.  A part of him wonders why he didn’t visit all this time. Staring forward again, he continues into town, his destination just a couple more miles ahead.

Seems like it was just yesterday when his dad drove him down this same road, away from everything he knew to get on a plane and head off to bootcamp.  Luffy had come with, smile never leaving his face as he frantically waved until Zoro was out of sight. In the last six years, his best friend had come to visit him at a couple places he was stationed.  One time he, Usopp, and Chopper had made a boys trip out of it -- driving out to East Texas for a week. Shortly after, Zoro was transferred to Virginia. Only his dad visited him there.

Sanji and Nami are the two he hasn’t seen since high school days.  Nami would periodically text him on birthdays or Christmas -- usually include him in a group text of some sort.  Annoying shit like that. Sanji is a different story. There was no direct contact since they’d graduated. Zoro grips the wheel tighter as he turns on his blinker, waiting for an slow sedan to idle by.  Last night at the bar was a new experience. Even when they were kids, it was never that easy to sit down and have a conversation with Sanji. He’d been such an irritable bastard, even worse when they were teenagers  The guy he met last night seemed to be a completely different person.

Zoro closes the door to the red truck and pauses in the parking spot, staring at the small building before him.  A Cup of Galdino -- the coffee shop Usopp works at. He raises an eyebrow at the dumbass name and fancy logo as he walks up to the door.  This place is definitely new, completely different from any establishment he remembers being in Whiskey Peak. Once inside, he’s surprised to find it empty, not a worker in sight.  Scratching his head, unsure what to do, he calls in wonderment, “Hello?”

Usopp’s head peeks out from the back. “Oh, Zoro!” He hustles out to give him a one-armed hug. “What’re you doing here?”

“Was in the area.” Zoro explains, jutting his thumb over his shoulder towards the parking lot. “Picked up that truck from Franky.”

Squinting out the window, Usopp’s eyes widen at the truck in question. “Oh, that one! It was decorating his front yard for a while.” He scratches his facial hair in thought. “I guess it wasn’t dead after all.”

“Runs great.”  Zoro pulls out one of the chairs tucked under a high top table and hauls himself into it, leaning forward with an elbow on his knee.  “How new is this place?”

Usopp climbs up to take a seat across from Zoro. Leaning against the back of the chair, he folds his hands behind his head, looking to the ceiling as he responds, “Four years now, I think. Just about.”

Nodding at the answer, Zoro glances around the space.  It’s haughty -- decorated in an odd mix of candles and fancy tea sets.  Seems so out of place for his hometown. He chuckles to himself, turning back to his friend with an eyebrow raised, “You like it?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty alright. I’m a manager. Chopper works here too,” Usopp says, shrugging. A chagrined expression appears on his face as he explains, “The owner is from another planet but I’ve learned to work around him.”

“Had a few of those before,“  Zoro snorts, shaking his head as he crosses his arms over his chest and leans back in his chair.  He pauses for a moment, a silence stilling between them. Normally he enjoys silence but being around his friends to the first time in so long brings about an uncomfortable quiet that he’s not used to.  Small talk was never his favorite.

“So how does it feel being back so far?” Usopp asks excitedly, clasping the edge of the table and tilting himself forward.

“Feels good,” Zoro replies honestly.  Feeling another awkward silence coming on, he pushes himself to further the conversation with a teasing smirk.  “Heard you’ve been doing well. Something ‘bout you and Nami getting together.”

Usopp laughs, rubbing his arm embarrassedly as he responds, “Oh, yeah, that. Well, it’s new. We’re just going with the flow for now.”

“What happened to the blonde chick?”

“Oh, Kaya?” Usopp clarifies as Zoro shrugs in confirmation. “She went off to college. We tried long distance but it didn’t work out. Took awhile to get over it but now I’m like, she was just my high school girlfriend. We grew apart.”

“Makes sense,” Zoro comments idly as he remembers their high school days.  Usopp wasn’t the only one in a serious relationship back then. “Saw blondie last night.  Things end with his girl too?”

“You really have a lot to catch up on.” Usopp smirks slyly, an amused gleam in his eyes. He looks around the cafe, noting that no customers are coming in any time soon. “Want a coffee or something?”

“Water?”

“You’re in for a treat,” Usopp says before getting up to grab Zoro a cup of water and taking his seat again. He leans into the table dramatically, eyes shifting around as he reveals, “Sanji’s gay now.”

Zoro’s eyebrows lift in surprise.  So the staunchly straight man he remembered from high school actually is different now.  He nods in acceptance of the information as Usopp continues.

“He broke up with her after graduation. Nami told me he had some other fling with a girl for like half a year, but apparently it wasn’t serious and he broke that off too. After that…” Usopp pauses, seeming to put more care into his next words. “After that he started a relationship with a guy. But that didn’t work out and ever since he’s stayed single as far as we know. Nami thinks he might have something going on lately, gets home super late from work when he shouldn’t. Weeknights, you know.”

Taking a drink from his water, Zoro keeps his stare on Usopp as he takes in the explanation.  The more he thinks about it, the more it makes sense. He grins to himself. Sanji was always such a girl.  Doesn’t surprise him the least bit. He sets his cup on the table top, rapping his knuckles on the wood. “Missed out on too much.”

“It’s been years,” Usopp reminds gently before widening his smile. “It’s good to have you back. Glad you missed us this much.”

“Good to be back,” Zoro agrees, matching the smile on his friend’s face with a grin of his own.  He takes another drink of water before joking, “Now if everyone could just move past the small talk.”

Usopp reaches over to punch Zoro’s shoulder lightly. “You’re the one who left and didn’t touch base for years! This is what you get!”

Zoro laughs loudly, accepting the berating in stride.  “Nothing’s changed with me,” he retorts with a shake of his head.  “Guess I expected the same.”

Usopp starts to respond but their attention is taken by the sound of the front door crashing open and a low curse being muttered as the customer walks in.  Zoro glances over his shoulder and is interested to find a familiar head of blond hair bent down, kicking at the overturned rug.

“Shit, Usopp! You’ve gotta fix this thing!” Sanji yells in frustration. His gaze directs onto Zoro, surprised to see him here as well. After a small beat, he points over to him.  “Usopp. You’ve got a homeless man in your cafe.”

“Didn’t know this place serves ducks,” Zoro states smugly, using an old nickname he’d given Sanji in their childhood as their friend jumps from his chair and rushes to the other side of the counter.  He feels a warm satisfaction glow within him as he spots Sanji’s eye twitch with irritation. When Zoro had found out the man’s last name -- Canard -- meant duck in French, it was all over for him. The insult had stuck from that day forward.

“Shut up. Get a job, bum,” Sanji retorts with a scowl. The old nickname lights a flame of irritation in him. He turns to Usopp, who is already working on his coffee. Thankfully, it shouldn’t take long. Black coffee is all he ever gets here before his bar shifts but still he gets a rise out of making Usopp nervous. “Hurry! I’m running late and my old man will kill me!”

“Sorry, sorry! Here, here!” Usopp hastily places the cap on the to-go cup and hands it over the counter.

Sanji accepts the cup with a pleased hum, thanking Usopp before strolling casually over to Zoro and asking him, “Hey, Usopp. No wonder you don’t got any customers with this loser displayed at your front window. What are you doing here, anyway?” He looks to Zoro’s cup, eyeing the clear liquid. “Who comes to a cafe to drink water?”

“Don’t like coffee,” Zoro says with a shrug, taking a long swallow from the cup.  “Would’ve gone to Zeff’s for a real drink but that place has a shitty bartender.”

“Hey!” Usopp calls urgently from the background. “Why’d you rush me if you’re just gonna talk to him?!”

“A shitty bartender, huh? The same shitty bartender who gave you free drinks last night? Ungrateful prick,” Sanji growls under his breath. “Next time you come in I’ll make you pay double.”

“Hey! Sanji! Zeff’ll kill you, right?! Go to work!”

Zoro watches as Sanji dismisses Usopp’s complaints with a wave as he turns to exit out the door.  He shakes his head, an amused smirk on his face. Guy’s always been a firecracker. Twisting back to Usopp, he nods towards the door.  “See? No small talk there.”

 

 

“Put on the weenies!” Luffy shouts excitedly as Brook finishes flipping patties on the barbeque.

“Coming up,” Brook responds with a soft laugh, taking the plate of hot dogs and placing them carefully on the grill.

Zoro takes a long swig from his beer watching in amusement as Luffy waits impatiently at the side of the grill, cheering as Brook begins cooking the hot dogs.  Always had an obsession with them. He glances to his left and finds his partner staring at his friend with a perturbed look on his face.

“Luffy takes his hot dogs seriously,” Zoro explains with a grin as he watches Luffy steal one off the plate and eat it raw.

“Disgusting,” Law retorts with a slow shake of his head.

Chewing obnoxiously, Luffy’s eyes zero in on Law’s comment and he asks jovially, “You want one?”

“No.”

Luffy shrugs, wrinkling his nose. “Wasn’t gonna share anyway!”

Brook laughs softly from the grill, fiddling with the knobs to turn up the heat. “There’s plenty to go around.”

Resting the bottle of lager against his knee from where he’s seated, Zoro looks out to the expansive desert that is Brook’s backyard.  The man’s house is situated on the outskirts of town and relatively distanced from any of his neighbors. His back patio seems to be the best place to hang out -- has a great view of the red rocks.  Tilting his head to look at Law seated next to him, Zoro realizes he hasn’t asked his boyfriend about his day.

“How was the interview?”

Law tilts his head up from where he’s bent over his phone.  “Oh,” he says casually, turning off the screen and leaning back in his chair with a smirk.  “Got the job offer officially.” He grins. “Start in a week.”

“Cheers to that,” Zoro responds with a wide smile, tilting the neck of his beer towards Law before taking a drink.  A sense of pride wells within him as his lingering stare is caught by his boyfriend, a quiet moment passing between them.  “Knew you would.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful news,” Brook says happily, putting down the lid to the barbeque and striding over to an acoustic guitar laying on a nearby wall. He grabs it delicately before sitting down on a chair near the grill, strumming it lightly as he tunes it with expertise. When he begins playing a tune, he asks, “Any requests?”

Luffy pipes in immediately. “Play Wonderwall!”

“Yes, of course,” Brook accedes before playing a completely different song.

“Hey!” Luffy shouts with a disappointed frown.

Zoro listens to the man’s tune for a brief moment, looking on as Luffy settles in a nearby chair and focuses intently on the music.  “How was the gig last night?”

Not pausing his strumming, Brook responds, “It went well. My back didn’t give out climbing onto stage.” He grins at the men before him and is met with blank expressions in response.  With a sigh, he explains, “Because I’m old.”

“Got it,” Law replies drolly as he crosses a leg over the other, swinging his foot nonchalantly.

“Do you mind checking the food?” Brook asks Zoro as he continues to play, humming along with the tune.

Zoro finishes off his beer and nods, standing and crossing to open the lid of the grill.  Everything looks to be ready so he grabs the spatula and serves the hot dogs and burgers onto the plate.  Immediately Luffy is at his side, stealing a charred piece and gulping it down in one bite. The four of them are silent for a beat, gathering around the table set-up on the patio with all the things they need to serve plates of burgers and hot dogs  Once everyone is settled with their dinner, conversation strikes up again.

“Hey! You!” Luffy points at Law, talking around a mouthful of food.  “What’s your name again?”

Zoro scowls slightly at the question.  Luffy’s a complete moron but he knows he’s mentioned Law several times by name.

“I’ve told you twice,” Law says with a sigh as he munches on a potato chip.  “Law Trafalgar.”

“Law Trablogger?”

“Tra-fal-gar,” Law repeats slowly, an look of disdain crossing his features.

“Tragarlic?”

Law sighs again, giving up entirely.

“Traffy.” Luffy says decidedly.

“No.”

Zoro watches the interaction as he scarfs down his burger, entertained that Luffy seems to be able to piss off Law in the best ways.  He notices his partner poking at his chips and nonchalantly suggests, “Should just eat a burger.”

Law’s frown deepens as he shudders at the proposal.  “No fucking way.”

Zoro chews his food with a smug grin, connecting his eyes with Luffy’s stare as he teases, “This creep hates bread.”

“What?! Who doesn’t like bread?” Luffy questions, face paused for a beat as if not computing Zoro’s words. Turning to Law, he thrusts a bun in his direction with a jovial smile, “Have a piece and you’ll calm down!”

Law glowers with contempt, avoiding the offending item being offered to him.  “Don’t test me,” he threatens as he smacks Luffy’s hand away and the bun flies across the patio.  “You’re utterly ridiculous.”

Luffy merely laughs vigorously with Brook as the bun scatters into two pieces along the patio floor.  They fall into light-hearted chatter, the two of them telling story after story to Law and Zoro throughout the evening.  They get to know their musician of a host a little bit better, learning that he had settled in Whiskey Peak only in the last few years after officially retiring from his music career.  He plays local bars and restaurants regularly in the area, happy to just have a small, local audience. That’s how he met Luffy and Usopp -- he played at Zeff’s place when they were there and they all hit it off.  It just worked out that he was looking to fill the space of his house and they needed a new place to live.

Once the dishes are washed and Brook announces he’s settling in his studio of instruments for the night, Luffy turns to Zoro and Law with a grin.

“Usopp and I are gonna watch scary movies at Nami’s tonight.  Think he’s already there. Wanna come?”

Zoro notices Law pause for a moment, apparently considering the offer.  He’s a pretty big fan of horror flicks so it won’t be surprising if he decides to join in.  Although Zoro would be willing to go along, a part of him hopes Law will decide not to. He’s got other plans in mind.

“No,” Law eventually declines with a shake of his head.  “Long day. Next time maybe.”

“All right!” Luffy agrees, turning to Zoro.  “What about you?”

“Next time,” Zoro echoes in response.  They say goodnight to Luffy and wander down the hallway together, flipping on the light of their bedroom and closing the door behind.

Law yawns and glances at his watch, raising an eyebrow.  “A bit early for you to be settling in.” He gives Zoro a knowing look.  “What’re your plans?”

Zoro crosses his arms and rests his back against the door.  “Thought I might go to the bar.”

“On a Wednesday,” Law observes with a teasing hum.  He sits on the edge of the bed, raising a foot to untie his shoe.  As silence passes between them, he glances up and catches Zoro eye with a soft gaze. “You don’t need my permission.  I’m going to read and probably turn in early.”

Giving his partner a nod, Zoro pushes off the door and crosses the space between them, leaning down to give Law a chaste kiss.  “See you in the mornin’.”

 

 

The bar tonight has a humble crowd. Six scraggly men sit in a line at the long counter, one of them his dad who is catching up with a regular and doesn’t seem to be counting the time, or his drinks. Sliding the vodka tonic over to him, Sanji eyes him scrutinously with a complaint. “Last one old man. You need your beauty sleep.”

“Cutting an old man off?” Zeff questions with a scowl, gripping his glass and tilting back a strong drink.  “A little too big for your boots, eggplant.”

“Gotta be with a stubborn old coot like you,” Sanji retorts, giving him one last irritated look before grabbing a beer for one of his regulars at the end of the bar, knowing he’s ready for it without asking. As he pops open the cap and places down the bottle, he notices the door swing open. Curious to see who his next customer is, he’s both surprised and pleased to catch Zoro making his way over.

Zoro spots a recognizable figure seated at the bar and can’t help himself from walking straight over and giving a strong pat to the man’s shoulder.  “Been awhile, old man,” he greets warmly as Zeff twists to look at him.

“Look who it is!” Zeff boasts with a wide smirk, red-faced as he wraps an arm around Zoro’s shoulders and tugs him into a strong hug.  He catches the attention of his regulars, pointing to Zoro with pride, “Mihawk’s boy! The sailor. First time I seen him in years.”

Sanji sighs as Zeff releases a belch, wrinkling his nose as he grumbles under his breath, “Drunk old fool.”

Zoro acknowledges the vaguely recognizable faces staring at him around the bar.  Friends of Zeff’s and his dad’s. He gives the man one more strong pat to the back before pulling out of his hold and sitting on a nearby bar stool.  He finally looks at Sanji. “Bud draft.”

Nodding, Sanji picks up a pint glass and presses it down on the rinser, spraying the inside clean before flipping it under the spout. While filling it, he watches his dad carefully before connecting his eyes with Zoro’s and inquiring, “Not a liquor night?”

“We’ll get there,” Zoro responds blankly as he shifts on his stool to face Zeff.  “Old man, how ya been?”

“Been getting old,” the man responds as he finishes off his glass.  He motions towards Sanji. “Been putting up with this one’s shit.”

“What’d I ever do to you?” Sanji grumbles, slipping a coaster Zoro’s way and slamming the icy draft on top.

“A pain in my ass since the day you were born, eggplant,” Zeff gripes but there’s affection in his tone.  He looks between his son and Zoro, an unreadable expression forming on his face. “First time you two been around each other in a long while.”

Zoro picks up his beer, pleased at how cool the mug feels in his hand, and takes a refreshing gulp.  “Long time,” he comments idly as he sets down his glass and wipes his mouth. “Feels like just yesterday though.”

Sanji frowns as he notices Zeff’s glass is empty again, the man already beckoning him for another drink. He doesn’t like it when he lingers after work like this. It’s not a good habit for him, but Sanji can tell he’s drunk enough that his tongue is now numb to alcohol. Taking the glass and filling it with more ice from the well, Sanji swiftly pours him a tonic water, leaving out the vodka undetected. Works every time once his dad is the right amount of intoxicated. He slides it over to Zeff, taking a fleeting look over his other customers to confirm they don’t need a top up before immersing himself in their conversation.

“Should have stayed on the other side of the country,” Sanji jabs nonchalantly to Zoro.

Zeff guffaws loudly as he swallows from his newly poured glass.  He looks Sanji over and gives him a resolute nod. “Take a few days off and catch up, eggplant.”  He gestures towards Zoro with a tilt of his head. “Go camping or hiking like you did as kids. Take the loud one with you, too.  Live a little.”

Brows raising in surprise, Sanji smiles softly and nods. “I can’t believe my ears.” He lifts his hand to gesture over to his childhood friend. “Zoro, you’re my witness. I don’t care if you’re drunk, old man. I’m holding you to that.”

“I’ll drink to it,” Zoro responds as he raises his glass and takes a swig.  Camping trip sounds like a good time. They used to do it all the time as kids, their group only growing as they got older.   He hasn’t been able to keep his eyes off the canyons since he arrived back. Might as well go explore them like old times.

“Patty,” Sanji calls to one of their regulars, a burly man sitting on Zeff’s other side. He nods to the small screen in the corner. “Game’s over. You’re heading home, aren’t you? Take my dad with you.”

“I can get myself home,” Zeff retorts gruffly, gripping the edge of the bar with a belligerent glare turned on Sanji.

“Like hell you can,” Sanji rebuffs, nodding at Patty as the man puts down some money with a scowl and stands. Turning back to Zeff, he adds, “Remember to take your old man meds when you get home.”

Zeff finishes off his drink and stands, swaying slightly with the movement.  “Don’t boss me around,” he mutters brusquely to Sanji before his gaze lands on Zoro.  “Better come back and have a chat with me.”

“Will do,” Zoro agrees with a smirk. He watches as Patty grips Zeff by the shoulder and leads him out into the night.  Once the door clatters behind them, he shifts back on his stool to face his friend still glaring at the spot his father just occupied.  “Still stubborn as hell.”

“He never changes,” Sanji says, finally turning his eyes away from the door over to Zoro. Picking up Patty’s money, he adds detachedly, “Like this town.”

“Town’s changed a bit,” Zoro disagrees as he drinks his beer.  “That place Usopp works at is new.”

Sanji gives him a subtle smile as he counts the bills. “Guess it’d be easier for you to notice, newcomer.”

Zoro lifts his eyes to glare at Sanji over the edge of his glass.  Truth be told, despite everything falling back into place, he hasn’t been able to shake the feeling of being an outsider.  Must be the symptom of so many years away, traveling so many places in the Navy. Even though it feels like he’s home, it’s as though his home doesn’t recognize him back.  He sets the glass on the coaster and rests his arms on the bar top. “Guess so.”

Using the lull between them as an opportunity to check on his other customers, Sanji cashes two more out and tops up the other two’s drinks, leaving three men still seated at his bar. Finally, he returns to stand in front of Zoro, leaning against the back of the liquor cabinet as he hooks his thumbs into his jean pockets. He’s intrigued by what brought the man here again after only a night. “So I guess you’re bored already, huh? Back here so soon.”

“Wanted a drink,” Zoro retorts, tapping the side of his glass.  “Hoped the shitty bartender was off.”

“Told you to get a job, ya drunk,” Sanji chides with a grin. He appreciates the company regardless. It hasn’t been long since Zoro reemerged in Whisky Peak but Sanji’s dull day-to-day already feels more enlivened by his presence. And now, he wonders if Zoro will make these little visits somewhat of a habit. It makes him ponder what Law is up to that he’s shown up here by himself.

“Gonna drink for a living.”  Zoro punctuates the joke with a large gulp from his pint. He’s not sure why he felt drawn to come back.  Mostly intrigued by how easy it was to have a conversation with Sanji last night and how it had been so long since they last spoke.  The man before him is a strange mix of new and old -- a combination that interests him.

“Well, you’ve come to the right place for that,” Sanji says smoothly, scratching his cheek in thought. “Gonna have to stock up on the rum and whiskey.”

Pushing his empty pint glass forward, Zoro nods towards the displayed Captain bottle.  “Let’s dig into it now.”

Sanji raises a brow, saying exasperatedly as he takes the pint glass away, “It won’t be free, you know.”

Rolling his eyes, Zoro shifts forward and tugs his wallet out of his back pocket.  He thumbs through the cash and pulls a fifty out, resting it on the bar. “Serve me ‘til that’s gone or I’m drunk. Whatever’s first.”

Fixing up Zoro’s drink, Sanji sets it in front of him, skin buzzing as the man quickly reaches for it, brushing his fingertips accidentally in the process. Clearing his throat, he responds, “Knowing you, it’ll be gone before you’re drunk. I still remember that time you emptied a handle of the Captain in a day. Didn’t even pass out, you freak.”

Zoro chuckles at the memory.  It was junior year -- they’d swiped the booze from his dad’s stash.  “You had two solo cups of wine and got toasted. Lightweight.”

Placing a hand to his hip, Sanji’s frowns in irritation. “At our age, at least that was _normal_. All my theories about you being an alien lifeform were confirmed that day, greenie.”

“Whatever you say, blondie.”

Nodding to a customer who’s signalling him for his tab, Sanji takes care of that, listening to the door swing closed as he makes his way back to Zoro to continue their chat. “Nami says Luffy and Usopp are over watching movies with her,” he informs, topping up Zoro’s drink before asking, “What’s Law up to tonight?”

“Said he was turning in early,” Zoro responds with a shrug, sipping from his glass.  “Had a long day.”

“Did he have any luck on the job hunt?”

“Interview was today.”  Zoro can’t help the grin tugging at the corners of his mouth as he shifts on his stool.  “They offered him the job.”

The smile on Zoro’s face is infectious, Sanji finds himself grinning with him. “That was quick as hell. I’m glad it worked out.”

Rubbing the back of his neck, Zoro connects his gaze with Sanji’s.  “So’m I. He’s the kind who has to stay busy.”

“I would’ve guessed that,” Sanji says pensively. “Not going to lie, surprises me you found something serious. But you do suit each other. He seemed happy when I talked with him last night, anyway.” Shrugging and wondering if he’s pushing the envelope too far, Sanji jokes, “Don’t know about you. You’ve always been a heartless prick.”

Zoro chuckles at the jab and takes a sip of his rum.  Good to hear someone else seems to think Law’s happy. This big move has weighed on his mind since they’d decided together that his partner would come along.  He was willing to leave his home behind, and even though Zoro knew that didn’t mean much to him, it was still a giant leap of faith. Law may have made that choice of his own free will but Zoro can’t help hoping it was the right decision for them both.  

For a fleeting moment, the information he learned from Usopp earlier crosses his mind.  Supposedly Sanji’s had one relationship since coming out and nothing tangible since. It leaves him curious as to what’s been going on in his old friend’s life.  Knowing its not his place to pry, Zoro instead responds with a quip of his own, “Rather be a heartless prick than a bumbling idiot.”

“Bumbling? Me?” Sanji asks, voice raising in pitch. He scrutinizes Zoro for a long moment, putting two and two together and realizing the man is referring to his high school days. When he’d been volatile and hormonal and endlessly chasing after girls. In retrospect, he now sees he’d never even wanted them like that. Those days were just a blur of emotions, confusion and overcompensation. He wonders what Zoro would think of how much things are different for him now. With a small shrug, he says vaguely, “Not like that anymore. Grew up and all that.”

Zoro finishes off his drink once again, the liquor filling his gut with a satisfying warmth.  He always needs to drink the first few quickly to get any kind of buzz going. Always had a high tolerance for liquor and his years in the military only made it worse.  He studies the solemn man before him as his face splits into a smirk.  “Usopp already told me.”

Sanji studies Zoro again for a long moment, keeping his face purposefully unreadable before sighing, letting his features fall. “He’s such a blab.”

A hand motion to Sanji’s right catches his attention as his last remaining customer other than Zoro waves at him for his tab. Putting their conversation on hold, he is quick to take care of that, watching the man leave while he puts the money in his till. After clearing a couple empty glasses from the bar, he strolls back over Zoro’s way, refilling his drink. All customers except Zoro gone and none expected to show up, Sanji grabs a bottle of beer, presses his palms against the back counter of the bar and hoists himself in a sitting position on top. Crossing his legs, he pops open the cap and takes a long pull from the bottle.

“Can’t say you’re not surprised, can you?” he finally acknowledges, setting the bottle between his thighs and reaching behind him for his pack of cigarettes and lighter. He’s not sure why he feels nervous about Zoro’s response.

“Not really,” Zoro answers honestly as he chases a drop of water rolling down the side of his glass with his finger.  “Knew you were overcompensating for somethin’. Had to be this or a small dick.” A teasing smirk. “Or both.”

Nearly spitting mid-sip, Sanji slams the bottle down harshly. “And like all of those workouts aren’t compensating for something, musclehead?”

“My junk’s huge.”

Sanji snorts, taking another long sip. He looks to the door, not wanting to risk any more customers coming through to interrupt them. He doesn’t expect anyone else but it’s not like he hasn’t had random late-night patrons walk in near closing time. It can be aggravating. An ashtray in arm’s length, he slides it over and lights up, taking a soothing drag before letting the smouldering stick rest on the notch of the ashray. Knowing Zoro should remember the routine, Sanji’s looks into inquisitive eyes and demands, “Turn off the sign and lock the door for me, will you? I’m done for the night.”

Zoro rises from his stool and turns off the sign, recalling the extra shove the door needs to lock up right.  He grins to himself with satisfaction as he sees it works the first try. Returning to his stool, he pauses. Instead of taking a seat, he wanders around to the other side of the bar and grabs his bottle of Captain Dark from the shelf.  “You pour slow,” he tells Sanji as he passes by.

Sanji gawks at Zoro’s brash actions, jumping down to his feet and making sure to grab the fifty dollar bill on the counter he’s neglected all this time. “Or maybe you drink too fast,” he retorts with a glower.

“I’m a sailor,” Zoro comments as he returns to his seat, shaking the bottle in his grip slightly.  “Like water to a fish.”

“You sound like my old man,” Sanji groans with a roll of his eyes. He retrieves the ashtray from behind him, placing it on the main bartop and taking a long puff. Thinking back to where their conversation left off, he feels an itch from within to return to it. He’s interested in Zoro’s opinion on his situation, being a gay man who’s probably traveled and experienced a fair bit in his time away. “Anyway. You can see why I need to get out of this town. Not many options here for me.”

“You’d be surprised,” Zoro says thoughtfully as he tops off his drink and shoots it back.  Another pour. This is the kind of drinking he’s used to. He looks up at Sanji’s gaze still turned on him.  There’s something unreadable in his blue eyes, searching him for an answer. Simply shrugging, Zoro explains further as he goes to take another shot, “Must’ve saw Law a hundred times at that Walgreens before we talked.”  He hesitates the glass at his lips, keeping his dark stare connected with Sanji’s. “Could be anyone, anytime.”

Sanji’s eyes don’t leave his friend, letting his words coat him over and spark a hint of excitement inside, something he hasn’t felt in a long, long time. He studies him severely, trying to decipher what he truly means, but then shakes himself out of thoughts like these. He must be imagining things. Zoro wouldn’t suggest something like _that._ Even he can’t wrap his head around such an implication from his childhood friend. He must be more lonely than he thought. Keeping things casual, Sanji takes a long gulp from his beer and responds pessimistically, “Come on. You have to admit, we’re not exactly in Castro District here.”

“Don’t even know what that is,” Zoro says with a small grin, happy to feel the tipsy sloshing in his head.

Sanji’s face twists in befuddlement. “And _you’re_ supposed to be the worldly one here?”

“Been on three continents.”

“Easier to believe you’ve never stepped foot on planet earth.”

Zoro sets down his drink and leans forward, resting his elbow on the bar.  His fingers touch his face lightly as he smirks, ghosting over the top of the scar running over his eye.  “Seen more of this earth than you can imagine.” He pauses, feeling the grooves of his rugged skin. “But I came back.  This is a good place.”

Sanji leans forward on the bar, planting both elbows on the counter and clasping his hands around his beer, cigarette still resting between his fingers. Face pensive, he’s silent for a while as Zoro’s words make him think back to their childhood days. With a small smile, he taps the cigarette over the ashtray and says, “Remember when we went camping way back and Luffy almost ate a scorpion?”

Zoro snorts, finishing off his final drink.  He slides the empty glass to Sanji and gestures he’s done.  Thinking back on the memory fondly, he reflects, “Thought my dad was gonna beat his ass.”

“Thought mine was too. Old man Garp definitely did.” Sanji laughs, smirking around the neck of his beer as he takes a final, strong pull, finishing it off. Snuffing out his cigarette, he grabs Zoro’s glass and the empty bottle of rum, beginning to clear up the bar in preparation for cleaning.

“Should go camping,” Zoro suggests nonchalantly, keeping his stare fixed on Sanji working behind the bar.  “Like Zeff said.”

“Yeah,” Sanji says quietly, nostalgia soothing his mind and body. “Like old times.”

  



	3. Chapter 3

Still in bed, Sanji ends the call on his cell, feeling a rush of adrenaline hit him all at once. He sits up, wiping his eyes and immediately begins tapping on his phone in their friend group’s Facebook chat. He just got off the phone with Zeff, who had surprisingly kept his word from last night in giving him some time off. Sanji just never expected it to be _today._ His old man gave him no flexibility on the days, wanting him to prioritize covering weekend shifts. He’s got a lot of shit to do -- first thing’s first is making sure some of his friends will even be able to join him.

 

 **Sanji Canard:** My dumb old man gave me today and tomorrow off with super short notice. Anyone wanna to switch some shifts and go camping?

 **Luffy Macaco:** Oh hell yeah! My manager owes me!

 **Nami Katt:** With you boys? That sounds like a headache.

 **Usopp King:** Party pooper Nami.

 **Sanji Canard:** Don’t be an asshole. I don’t blame her, you guys are at your nastiest when camping. Not fit for female eyes.

 **Nami Katt:** They’re always at their nastiest. I’m broke af and don’t want to give up any shifts to play in the dirt with you losers.

 **Tony Chopper:** I have to ask my manager… Usopp?! I have to get someone to cover tomorrow.

 **Usopp King:** Sometimes I feel like being in a group chat with you is unprofessional. Rebecca wanted more shifts, I’ll ask her.

 **Tony Chopper:** Thanks! Is Zoro coming? I still haven’t seen him!

 **Sanji Canard:** You’re better off keeping away, Chops. He’s homeless and a drunk. Bad influence.

 **Law Trafalgar** : The homeless man Sanji speaks of says “we’re in.”

 

Sanji blinks wide-eyed at the phone’s screen, a jolt of horror coursing through him. He had no idea Law was in their group chat. Viciously scrolling up, he sees that Law was added yesterday, most likely by Luffy. He must have missed the notification. Damn. He feels embarrassed, though he knows he didn’t necessarily do anything wrong.

Suddenly Nami bursts through his bedroom door, yelling with an amused grin as she jumps onto the mattress, “You offended his creep boyfriend!” Laughing, she tackles him down onto his back, the bed squeaking as they bounce together. His phone continues to vibrate with notifications as he laughs with her, scrambling to pick it up and read the new messages.

 

 **Tony Chopper:** Yay!

 **Luffy Macaco:** Woohoo!! Party time!

 **Usopp King:** Yes!! When are we leaving, Sanj?  Should we come over to plan?

 **Sanji Canard:** Yeah, come over!! We have to get our shit together ASAP!!

 **Tony Chopper:** I can’t right now so someone just call or text me when we have the details.

 **Luffy Macaco:** I’m gonna go jump on Zoro’s bed.  Watch out, Traffy! Hope you guys aren’t boning!!!

 **Law Trafalgar:** K.

 

Zoro watches as Law tucks his phone into the pocket of his pajamas and sighs, quickly throwing back the blanket and hopping out of bed.  “What’s up?” he asks, brow raised at the sudden movements.

“You’ll see,” Law replies with an amused smirk as he kneels in front of their suitcases.

“ _Zoro_!”

The door to the bedroom flings open and suddenly a messy-haired Luffy is leaping into the air and sprawling over him with a heavy thump.  A knobby knee lands on Zoro’s crotch and knocks the wind out of him as Luffy cackles and rolls off.

“Aw, man.  You moved,” he says to Law with a wide grin.

“Son of a bitch,” Zoro groans as he curls on his side and gives Luffy a scowl.  He hears a chuckle across the room and turns his glare onto his boyfriend. “Bastard hit me in the nuts.”

“I saw,” Law confirms with another laugh.  “That’s why I’m laughing.”

“Fuck both of you.”

“Get up! Get up!” Luffy snatches the blankets and rips them off Zoro.  “Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey!” He pauses. “Shit, Usopp better have weed. Anyway!  Get up! We gotta go to Sanji’s.”

Zoro sits up and rubs his eyes, the ache slowly dissipating in the pit of his gut from Luffy’s rough housing.  “Heard we’re camping,” he mutters as he stretches and twists to put his feet to the ground. “When?”

“Today!  Let’s go!”

 

Sanji is just finishing up cooking a breakfast spread for everyone when the front door slams open, Luffy’s rambunctious yells and stomps filling their once peaceful home. He’s already fixed a plate for Luffy, a mountain of bacon, sausages, scrambled eggs and toast piled on top as he turns and hands it to his friend, who grabs it from him immediately. He watches with a hand to his hip as Luffy plants his ass on the kitchen floor and greedily begins inhaling his meal.

“Jesus,” Sanji groans, shaking his head. “Good thing I had you covered.”

The smell of bacon fills Zoro’s nostrils as he enters the townhome, following behind Usopp to the kitchen.  His stomach grumbles the moment he sees the spread of food waiting for them across the countertops. “Hell yeah,” he says eagerly, glancing around the kitchen and finding Sanji staring at him.  “Where’re the plates?”

Sanji narrows his eyes at Zoro, not appreciative of the expectant question. Sighing, he bends around to the counter and grabs a plate from the stack he laid out earlier. Handing it to Zoro, he says, “You’re lucky to get any. I don’t normally feed the homeless.” Noticing Law peering in tentatively, he looks away quickly as the man’s steely eyes settle inquisitively on him.

“Whatever,” Zoro responds as he grabs the plate and begins filling it with breakfast.  He glances over his shoulder to where Law’s standing in the doorway. “Want anything?”

“No,” Law declines with a shake of his head.  He looks down to where Luffy’s eating on the floor and raises an eyebrow.  “Surely that isn’t comfortable.”

Shrugging as he continues to scarf down his meal, Luffy speaks with his mouth obnoxiously full. “Don’t care! Starving!”

“Thanks, Sanji!” Usopp calls over cheerfully as he snatches a sausage from Zoro’s plate and takes a bite.  He busies himself making his own plate and they all convene around where Luffy’s sitting, stuffing their faces.  He explains through a mouthful of food, “Chopper can come but I still have to talk to Mr. Galdino.”

“Chopper?” Zoro inquires as he finishes off a piece of toast.  “Still ain’t seen him.”

Usopp nods. “Yeah, I got his shift switched. He’s good to go.”

Luffy lets out a loud burp and pats his stomach as he grabs Sanji’s attention.  “Hey, Sanji! I nailed Zoro right in the balls this morning. You shoulda seen him.”

Picking up Luffy’s dirty plate off the ground, Sanji gives him a proud pat on the shoulder. “Nice one, Luff.”

Zoro casually sticks his foot out and trips Sanji as he walks by, earning himself an indignant glare as the man stumbles.  

About to retaliate with a vengeance, Sanji remembers the man’s boyfriend hovering in the corner of the kitchen, eyes in their direction. Huffing and giving Zoro one last glower, he continues over to the sink to rinse the plate and put it in the dishwasher.

“Who’s got camping gear?” Zoro asks as he stacks his dirty plate in the sink and wipes his hands on his gym shorts.

Luffy looks up around the group and raises his hands innocently, “I got nothin’.”

“Think all my shit’s packed away at my dad’s. But I’m not going over there, that old timer will forget he gave me time off and force me to work,” Sanji says with a scowl.

Zoro rubs the back of his neck as his questioning gaze lands on Usopp.

“Luffy broke my tent.  I think I still have a sleeping bag.”

Crossing his arms, Zoro scratches his jaw nonchalantly.  “Well shit. Guess that means I gotta go to my pop’s. He kept my stuff.”

“That oughta be fun,” Law comments from the corner with a knowing smirk.

“Oh it will. That’s a reunion I’d like to see,” Sanji says with a grin. “Plus, I remember that crazy cooler he’s got. Want to see if it’s still kicking around.”

“I can find out for you,” Law offers as he leans back against the wall, folding his arms over his chest.

Zoro shakes his head.  “Nah, come with,” he says to Sanji, shifting to grab another piece of bacon from the serving plate.  He continues as he chews, “Dad’s always liked you. It’ll distract him.”

Sanji smiles gratefully Zoro’s way. “Haven’t seen your dad in too long.”

“I want to see Mr. Hawky!” Luffy announces excitedly as he jumps up from the floor, hitting Usopp’s plate in the process.  The man is able to recover it before it drops and gives Luffy a dirty look.

“Don’t you need to talk to your manager?” he challenges as he holds his plate further away from Luffy’s reach.

“Oh shit yeah.”

They settle into the living room, Sanji still in the kitchen cleaning up as Usopp and Luffy begin setting up Nami’s bong. Nami comes down the stairs, short wet hair clipped up messily with only a towel covering herself. She strolls in casually to find her bong in full use around the circle of men. Waving a hand in the air dramatically, she shouts, “Oh, sure! Just make yourselves at home!”

“Nice towel,” Zoro deadpans as he sits on the arm of the chair Law’s leaned back in.  “Going out?”

“Half of you morons suck dick. Like you care about my tits,” Nami says, giving Usopp a suggestive grin. The recipient coughs in the middle of his pull on the bong, pressing a fist to his mouth and sending a surprised, tearful look back to her.  

“Exactly why I don’t wanna see your tits,” Zoro teases back.

Nami crosses her arms over her chest, cleavage intensifying with the motion as she nods to Usopp. “Usopp. I need help with something in my room.”

Getting up immediately, Usopp turns to Luffy and says without an ounce of shame, “I leave the joint rolling to you, my friend.”

“Hey!” Luffy exclaims as Usopp follows Nami excitedly up the stairs to her room. “Not cool!”

Law sighs and leans forward, gesturing to the weed and rolling papers.  “I’ll help.”

“I roll the _best_ joints,” Luffy brags, placing his weed box on the coffee table and spreading out all the tools he needs. Falling to his knees in front of the table, he beckons Law over excitedly and prompts, “Let’s see what you can do!”

Law lowers himself to the floor and glances over the objects waiting on the table.  Shaking his head, he silently goes through the motions of filling, packing, and rolling the weed into the paper with expert ease.  He smirks as he seals it and taps the end on the table to complete the task.

“Not very difficult,” he states as he hands the joint to Luffy for inspection.

Luffy scrutinizes his handiwork with his tongue poking out of his mouth slightly.  He snatches a lighter from the table and blazes up, nodding his head with approval as he pulls in a hit.  He exhales and shouts, “You’re hired!”

Kitchen cleaned to his standards, Sanji enters the living space to find Law and Luffy rolling joints on the coffee table and Zoro watching them with a wide grin. There’s no sign of Nami or Usopp. He smirks to himself as he takes a seat in front of Luffy, his friend’s back to him. Poking his spine with his toe, he questions, “Usopp abandoned you, huh?”

“Nami came down in a towel. There was nothing I could do,” Luffy admits, voice hoarse and a cloud of smoke billowing from his mouth.

“Need to get going,” Zoro directs them as he stands and cracks his neck.  “Wanna get this over with.”

“Yeah, yeah, we’re going,” Sanji responds idly. Tapping Luffy on the shoulder, he opens and closes his hand, gesturing that he wants a puff. Luffy greedily takes two more drags before handing the joint over to Sanji. Sucking in a smooth breath, Sanji hands it back to Luffy and exhales, letting the soothing feeling melt his muscles. It’s enough to give him a body high and a happy mood, all he needs this morning.

Zoro digs the keys from his pocket and jiggles them in their direction.  Law pushes his small pile of joints to Luffy with a nod and stands to head out.  “We’re leaving you behind, duckhead,” Zoro calls back to Sanji as he twists to leave, smirk on his lips as he hears the man respond from behind him.

“Alright already. I’m coming,” Sanji growls, hoisting himself off the couch to his feet. Grabbing his backpack on the floor by the couch, he looks to Luffy and asks, “Gonna hang out here?”

“Yeah. I’ll wait til they stop boning.”

Sanji chuckles and nods, looking up to the ceiling where Nami’s room is. Reaching into the pocket of his shorts, Sanji pulls out the keys to his Jeep and puts them gently on the coffee table. “Tell Usopp he can take my Jeep if you guys sort out your shifts. Meet at your place.”

“Can I drive it?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because you don’t have a license and you’re a shit driver.”

Zoro shakes his head at the interaction behind him as he walks out the front door, Law trailing on his heels.  Sun’s already high in the sky -- it’ll be a perfect day for setting up camp. He glances over his shoulder as he hears the front door close, Sanji adjusting the bag on his back as he joins them.  Making his way to the driver seat, Zoro hauls himself into the old truck as the other two round to the passenger side.

Sanji looks awkwardly to Law, both of them looking the other up and down. The middle spot in the truck would have him touching shoulders with Zoro, but it’s also the more uncomfortable position. He doesn’t know which Law would prefer, but he wants to be courteous.

“We have the same problem,” Law comments dryly, motioning to the passenger door.  “Long legs.”

Sanji nods in agreement, smiling lightheartedly. He knows he can’t suggest taking the middle seat outright. Tentatively, he asks, “Do you want the middle?”

Law sighs irritably, shrugging, “I’d rather not.” He obviously looks over Sanji’s head. “I’m taller than you.”

“Sure. No problem,” Sanji agrees amiably, taking off his pack and climbing into the truck. He shifts over beside Zoro and places the bag on his lap, knees squished together and rising high to his chest.

“‘Bout fuckin’ time,” Zoro mutters, glaring at the two of them as Law piles in the truck behind Sanji and closes the door.  He twists his head to reverse out the driveway, leaning into Sanji’s space with a scowl to see around his headrest.

“Just don’t drive like a fucking maniac,” Sanji grumbles at him, not even attempting to buckle himself in. He’s not exactly in the best position to fondle either Zoro or Law searching for the damn thing. Shoulder to shoulder with them both, he tries to shrink into his own space as much as possible, but as Zoro drives forward and begins making sharp turns, he’s unable to avoid bumping and rattling against them both. His friend’s driving habits haven’t changed either, he notes with a frown.

Navigating the streets with familiarity, Zoro reads passing signs as nostalgia wells within him, his dad’s place not too far from Sanji’s.  They pull up to a red light and he glances out the passenger window, spotting a noteworthy building. “Hey,” he voices to Law, reaching an arm across Sanji and pointing out the window.  “That your job?”

“It is.”

Sanji’s eyes follow the robust muscles of Zoro’s arm fleetingly pressed against his chest to the point of his finger. He leans forward slightly into the limb just as it disappears back onto the wheel, looking out the window at the building Zoro is bringing their attention to. “Oh, there. Nami and I go there all the time. Congrats, by the way. On the job. Got hired quick.”

“Thanks,” Law retorts dully, crossing his arms and leaning against the window.  “Seems like a nice place.”

Sanji hums in response, letting the space fall quiet for a beat. Deciding to change the topic, he inquires with amusement, “This’ll be your first time meeting Zoro’s dad, huh?”

“No.”  Law glances to his left, connecting his gaze with Sanji’s.  “Met him when he came to visit last Christmas.”

“Weird old fuck, isn’t he?” Sanji grins widely, turning his eyes from Law’s and back onto the road in front.

Zoro snorts at Sanji’s quip, leaning an elbow out his rolled down window.  They’re just a couple streets away from his childhood home. Though he’s excited to see the place after so many years, he can’t help but grimace at the thought of having to see his dad.  Not that he hates the man -- they just don’t get along too great. Always had a bit if a strange relationship, ever since he was taken in. His father adopted him after about a year of fostering, not too long after his sixth birthday.  They fell into their own kind of normal. Lost in his thoughts entirely, Zoro notices at the last second that he’s damn near close to missing his street. Turning the wheel sharply, he forces the truck to the right with a squeal of the tires.

Breathless as he endures the crazy turn, the force has Sanji’s body hurling into Zoro’s side. His hands automatically go to Zoro’s shoulder and bicep as his chest presses against his friend’s arm while the truck nearly clips a mailbox. Once Zoro corrects the wheel and their placement in their proper lane, Sanji quickly readjusts his position, twisting his head to glare intensely at Zoro. “What the fuck was  _that?_ Learn how to drive, blindy!”

“Shut up,” Zoro growls in response, glancing across Sanji to Law, who also has a glare turned on him.

“Glasses,” Law scolds through clenched teeth as he adjusts himself in his seat, crossing his arms once again.  “Doctor said you really shouldn’t be driving without them.”

“I’ll go when we’re done camping,” Zoro agrees begrudgingly as he squints to the road before them.  He probably should get them just for driving. At the very least, it’ll keep these two from bitching at him.

Sanji stifles a laugh picturing Zoro wearing glasses. He doesn’t say what he’s thinking, Law’s presence tangible to his right. Adjusting the backpack in his lap, he watches as the houses get more and more impressive while the truck climbs up several streets. Mihawk lives in the wealthiest area in town, his beautiful house overlooks much of Whiskey Peak. It’s pretty strange actually, Zoro’s always been an informal and unfussy person to the extreme, yet he’d grown up with money. No one would ever guess. It’s downright hilarious really and the disparity is likely a big part of Zoro’s odd relationship with his immaculate father. The old dusty red truck clambering its way up the gorgeous winding street is enough of an indication.

The rest of the ride is silent until Zoro pulls into the driveway of his dad’s house, shutting off the engine and staring at the profound building.  It was always weird to him growing up when his friend’s would come over for the first time. No one ever expected this to be his neighborhood or his home.  Exhaling heavily, he climbs out of the truck and leaves the door open for Sanji to scoot out behind him. His dad never was one for change so it doesn’t surprise him that everything looks exactly the same, down to the basketball hoop still attached to the garage.  They walk across the pavers leading up to the expansive front door and Zoro finds himself suddenly torn between knocking on the door and just walking in. He looks back at Law for help.

“Your dad won’t be happy either way,” Law observes with a shrug.  “Just knock.”

“Scared of your pops?” Sanji jests from behind.

“Fuck off,” Zoro berates as he twists back to the door and raises a fist to knock.  He’s taken aback as the door opens before his knuckles can connect to the wood and the piercing stare of his father is turned on him.

“Fuck whom?”

They simply stare at each other, arms crossed and scowls set.  An awkward silence passes between them for a few seconds until his dad steps out of the doorway and gestures to the house.  “Are you going to stand there like a blundering idiot or are you coming in?”

Zoro huffs and strides inside, not giving the man a second look as he passes into the foyer, Law and Sanji filing behind.  He looks around the space, grinning as he notices it hasn’t changed a bit. The only difference he can see are a few of the photos on the entryway table.  His eyes narrow on one from when he first joined the Navy, a portrait of him in his dress blues. Turning back as his old man closes the door behind them, he crosses his arms and smirks.  “Place looks exactly the same.”

“Did you think it would change just because you left?” His father shakes his head, adjusting the cuff of his sleeve.  “Quite arrogant of you.”

Zoro rolls his eyes, used to this kind of banter between them.  Pausing for a brief moment, he looks his dad over. Still as stuffy as ever with his dress shirt and expensive watch -- not a hair out of place.  He motions to his two companions still standing awkwardly in front of the door. “Brought your two favorite people,” he sneers as he steps further into the house.  “Talk to them while I look for my shit.”

“What ‘shit’ do you speak of?”

Stalling in the living room, Zoro shoots a glare over his shoulder.  “My camping gear.”

“In the garage,” Mihawk directs him with a dismissive wave of his hand.  Zoro watches for a brief moment as his old man shifts his stare to Sanji and Law and acknowledges them both by last name -- an old habit from his days in the military.  

“Canard. Trafalgar.”

“Mihawk,” Law responds warmly with an outstretched hand.  Zoro nods slightly as he sees his father grasp it with fondness, taking that as his cue to disappear to the garage and search for everything they need.

“Good to see you again.  I was hoping my buffoon of a son would bring you around.”  Mihawk’s gaze shifts away from Law to Sanji, a small smile spreading on his face.  “Let me get a look at you, boy. I haven’t had a moment to stop by Zeff’s lately. Hope business is well.”

Sanji smiles brightly, always polite and full of pleasantries in front of Zoro’s father. It’s how he’s in the man’s good books, after all. He enjoys the man’s no-nonsense attitude and the responsible manner in which he conducts his life. Most of all, he takes pleasure in how much he berates Zoro, to the point where it’s inexhaustibly comical.  “Nice to see you again, Mr. Mihawk. Business is same as usual. We’ve missed you at the bar. Dad’s been talking about dragging you and Shanks over for a poker match sometime soon.”

Mihawk’s lips curl into a grin.  “I’ll have to ring up the old bastard and sort something out.”  A crash from the garage steals all three of their attentions and they each let out some form of a sigh.  “Let’s go see what that clown has gotten into, shall we?”

Sanji chuckles, putting his hands in the pockets of his shorts as he follows the older man into the garage, Law drifting behind. Mihawk swings the door open, revealing Zoro standing around a couple of toppled boxes, scratching his head as he stares down at the mess.

“I trust you will be cleaning that up,” Mihawk chides with a threatening glare.

Zoro glances to the three sets of eyes staring at him, narrowing in on the amused gleam in the bright blue pair over his father’s shoulder.  “Yeah, yeah,” he concedes, as he continues digging through the boxes. “The fuck is everything?”

Sighing, Mihawk jabs the button on the wall to open the garage door, letting the bright sun pour into the space.  “In the corner near your bike.” He glances to the driveway and squints at the vehicle parked by his car. “New truck, I see.”

“She’s a beaut,” Sanji taunts dully from the doorway as Law slips past him into the garage.

“Runs good.  Got it yesterday.”  Zoro gives Law a grateful nod as his partner appears at his side and begins digging in boxes with him.  He opens another tote and raises an eyebrow at the contents, reaching in and tugging out an old karate outfit from his childhood.  “Why’d you keep this?”

“Toss it if you’d like.”

Sanji steps down into the garage, deciding to help look for Zoro’s gear as well and speed up the process. He wants to get out into nature as soon as they possibly can.

“Looks like camping stuff in here.”  Law motions to the tote before him.

Zoro steps over and peers into the box, a wide grin crossing his features as he pulls out his tent, sleeping bag, and sees his tools and rope at the bottom.  Glancing around, he spies some folding chairs and other gear tucked behind. Shoving everything back in the tote, he nods to Sanji. “All here.” Twisting back to his old man, he questions, “Got any coolers we can take?”

“Do you still have that massive one with all the locks? Think it was a Coleman. It was black,” Sanji asks thoughtfully. The locks in particular are handy. Luffy and Usopp are both known to scavenge like racoons when he’s not looking. He also remembers the cooler maintains cold temperatures like none other, took forever for the ice to melt inside.

Scratching his well-trimmed beard in thought, Mihawk slowly nods.  “Ah, yes. I believe it’s in the shed.” He spins on his heel and starts into the house.  “Come on, Zoro. Those muscles better be more than just show.”

“I’ll load up the gear,” Law offers as he clasps the lid back on the tote.  Zoro gives him an appreciative smile before he sets off behind Sanji to follow his father through the house and to the backyard.  

It doesn’t take too much digging to find the huge cooler in the shed.  They quickly remove the junk piled on top of it and each hoist an end to carry it back to the truck.  Law already has the mess in the garage cleaned up and the truck bed down, waiting for their return. After they heave it into the back and close everything up, Zoro turns to where his dad is waiting in front of the still opened garage, watching them with a blank expression.

“Thanks, pops,” he calls with a wave, pulling his keys from his pocket.

“Don’t do anything stupid,” Mihawk replies with a shake of his head.  He turns his stare on both of the men making their way to the passenger door.  “Make sure my son comes and visits me again.”

“I will,” Law agrees with a nod before swinging open the door and waiting for Sanji to climb in.

Sanji gives Law a brief glance before jumping into the trunk and shimmying into his spot in the middle, lifting his backpack onto his lap. Once Law is inside and all buckled up, they make their way to the nearest grocery store at Sanji suggestion, where he navigates them through the aisles, taking charge of their food stock for the trip. They grab three bags of ice as well as the groceries, loading everything into the back of the truck, filling the cooler with ice before progressing on to the liquor store.

“The holy land,” Zoro comments reverently as he hops out of the truck in excitement to stock up on booze.  

Sanji shuffles out of the truck, teasing as he goes, “Sure your dad didn’t actually murder you back there and you’re not in heaven right now?”

“You think he’d go to heaven?” Law deadpans as he joins them in entering the store.

Laughing brightly at Law’s quip, Sanji nods his head in approval. “Good point.”

Zoro leaves the two chuckling bastards behind and walks straight to the rum aisle, scanning the labels until his eyes land on the Captain Dark.  He grabs two handles from the shelf and pauses, tempted to add a third. Instead he wanders to the whiskey aisle, finding Law eyeing the selection of Crown Royal and seizes his own bottle of Jack Daniels to add to the mix.

Law glances at him and raises an eyebrow at the stash in his arms.  “Going all out, I see.”

Shuffling the bottles in his hold, Zoro stretches his hand out for Law’s bottle of Crown.  “Gotta get shitfaced when you camp.” He looks over the shelves, spotting the top of Sanji’s head in the next one over.  He calls out to the man, “Hey, what’ll the guys drink?”

“Chop-Sopp-Luey?” Sanji inquires, tearing his eyes from the Redd’s Wicked cider on the shelf to twist back at Zoro, using a nickname for their trio of younger friends from high school days. “Luffy’ll want Smirnoff Ice, peach bellini and watermelon. For Chops, strawberry pineapple Palm Bay. And Sopp -- Heineken. I’ll grab the Heineken. Just get the sweet stuff.”

Zoro shares a glance with Law.  His boyfriend sighs and motions to the front of the store.

“I’ll get a cart.”

Once they have their cart full of everyone’s alcohol of choice, they make their way to the front cashier, catching up to Sanji already in line.  Zoro’s quick to add his bottles to the counter and waves away Sanji’s attempt to pay, instead swiping his card for everything at once. “Good time’s on me,” he jokes as the cashier hands him his long receipt.  

“That’s insane. You didn’t have to cover it all,” Sanji rambles as Zoro pushes the cart towards the truck. Riffling for his wallet, he continues, “I have cash.”

“Forget it,” Zoro dismisses as he opens the bed of his truck and starts dumping the various cans and bottles into the cooler.  “What’s the point of government money if you don’t drink it away?”

“Repayment for the bar tab,” Law chimes in coolly as he grabs the empty cart and pushes it into the nearby return area.

Sanji helplessly puts away his wallet, eyeing the two of them with a small smile. “Well, thanks.”

Doesn’t take too long for them to load up and head back to Luffy’s house, a silent excitement buzzing in the truck as they’re so close to heading out to camp.  Zoro glances at the dash clock and grins. They’re making good time. They round the corner and find Sanji’s Jeep is parked in the driveway already, hopefully a good sign that that the two others were able to get the time off. Parked and striding ahead to start throwing together a bag, Zoro swings open the door to Brook’s house and finds three heads peering over the back of the couch at him.

“Zoro!”

A fluffy head of brown hair launches off the couch and runs over to him, thin arms thrown around his middle in a tight hug.  He bends forward and wraps the small frame in a strong squeeze, chuckling at the excited squeal he receives in response.

“I’ve missed you!” Chopper exclaims as they separate, his round eyes shining with joy.  He notices Law stepping in the house and is fast to introduce himself. “Hi! I’m Tony,” he says enthusiastically as he grips Law’s hand.  “Everyone calls me Chopper, or Chops. You must be Law?”

Law simply nods, sliding his hand away and resting it at his side.

“Cool!”

“We gotta pack up,” Zoro states hurriedly as he starts down the hall with Law in tow.  “Five minutes.”

“Yeah!” Luffy exclaims, suddenly bolting up from the couch. “Let’s hurry up and hit the road!”

Packed, changed, and ready to go -- Law and Zoro reappear from their bedroom in a flash to find their group of friends chattering enthusiastically outside about their upcoming trip.  Adjusting the backpack on his shoulder, Zoro joins the circle next to Sanji and questions, “You drivin’ too?”

“Yeah. No way we’re cramming in your shitty truck. Might as well have two vehicles anyway, just in case,” Sanji says, turning to Usopp and demanding, “Hey Sopp. Give me back my keys. There’d better not be a scratch on my Jeep.”

Usopp fumbles in his pockets before pulling out the set of keys, tossing them to Sanji and rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. “Oh, come on. You know I’m a good driver.”

“Yeah, yeah. Get in kiddies,” Sanji demands grumpily, opening the door to his Jeep and hoisting himself inside. Sliding down his window, he calls over to Zoro who’s just making his way to the truck with Law. “Hey, moron! I’ll lead. There’s no way I’m following your disoriented ass.”

Zoro flips Sanji the finger as he hauls himself into the truck and buckles up.  Law climbs in next to him and gets situated, resting his own backpack in the floor by his feet.  They wait for the chaos to settle and all the doors of Sanji’s Jeep to close before pulling out of the driveway and following behind.

“Where’s this campground anyway?” Law inquires as Zoro turns onto the main road, adjusting the white and black spotted beanie on his head.

Zoro grins, briefly connecting their gazes.  “Ain’t a campground. Goin’ to a spot about an hour away, off road.”

Law raises his eyebrows, shifting his gaze back to the road in front of them as he mutters, “What on earth did I agree to.”

Sanji’s eyebrow twitches as he clutches the wheel with seething ferocity, Luffy, Usopp and Chopper’s loud jokes and rowdiness behind him like needles in his ears. Luffy is moving erratically, making his chair jostle and prompting him to twist around and shout, “Luffy, what are you, a child? Sit still!”

“Did ya get the weenies?” Luffy questions boisterously, sticking his face over the center console to grin at Sanji.

“Yes, I got them,” Sanji grinds out, looking to his empty passenger seat and wondering why all three of them wanted to cram in the back. He pops a cigarette into his mouth and lights up. Cigarette bobbing between his lips, he informs, “Usopp, I got Heineken for us to share.”

“Ooh! Heinie!” Usopp exclaims, leaning over to pat Sanji on the shoulder. “We’ll be drinking pals tonight!”

“Did you get me Palm Bay?”

“Sure did.”

“The strawberry pineapple kind?”

“Yup.”

“Thanks, Sanji. I can pay you back!” Chopper offers.

“Take it up with Zoro. He paid for the whole damn thing,” Sanji says, exhaling smoke out the window as he catches a familiar sign ahead on the highway. He remembers that’s where the dirt road he needs to turn is at. Glancing into his rearview mirror, he is content to see Zoro’s truck follow him onto the dirt path, albeit grimacing at the rough turn and the cloud of dirt it kicks up behind him. “What a psycho,” he murmurs under his breath. As his friends in the back get rowdy again -- Luffy and Usopp are clearly baked past the point of no return -- Sanji turns on the radio in a desperate attempt to tune out their overexcitement.

“Shit!” Law curses as he rubs his head from where it hit the roof of the truck at the harsh turn, shooting a glare to Zoro as they bounce onto the dirt road.

“This is the fun part,” Zoro comments with a grin, rolling down his window and patting the top of the truck fondly.  “Gonna be bumpy the rest of the way.”

Law grimaces as he settles back in his seat with his arms crossed.  Zoro reaches over and grips his boyfriend’s knee, patting the denim lightly and resting his hand there as he continues to follow the white Jeep into the desert.  “See that rock?” he asks as Law’s cool hand covers his. “That’s where we’re goin’.”

“Outstanding,” Law remarks flatly, turning to stare out the passenger window.

“Don’t like to camp?” Zoro implores with a raised brow, studying his partner’s stiff body language for a beat.  It’s not something they’d ever done together before but Law didn’t protest when the decision was made earlier.

“Not particularly,” his boyfriend admits with a sigh, pulling his hand away and folding his arms over his yellow t-shirt again.  He gives Zoro a sidelong look and shrugs, “But I don’t mind.”

Zoro nods quietly as he removes his hand from Law’s knee to clutch the wheel once more and focus back on the road.

“Are we there yet?” Luffy whines from the backseat.

“Don’t even try that shit Luffy. I will kick your skull in,” Sanji threatens menacingly, flicking a spent cigarette out to the dirt and lighting up another. The vehicle bumps and sways along the rough path and he growls as the front of Zoro’s truck rides the ass of his Jeep.

Usopp guffaws as he looks behind him, “Zoro wants you to go faster, Sanji!”

A couple blaring horns from behind and Sanji is sticking out his middle finger from the sunroof. “He can fuck right off,” he grouses, smirking as he eases off the gas to piss Zoro off more.

“Hold on,” Zoro warns Law as he sharply swerves off road and hits the gas, rolling past the Jeep with ease and grinning at the open window that has Luffy and Chopper hanging out of it.  He returns Sanji’s gesture with his own middle finger as he cuts the man off, his truck now in the lead.

“Are you just going to let Zoro fuck you in the ass like that Sanji?” Luffy goads loudly, laughing maniacally out the window.

“The hell I am.” Frowning intensely as he stares at the bumper of the truck swerving in front of him, Sanji turns up the volume of the stereo, which is blaring The Three of Us by Streetlight Manifesto, courtesy of Usopp’s phone. Grinning, his fingers grip the wheel tighter and he yells over the ruckus of the music and wind, “Hang on, guys!”

Stepping on the gas, Sanji swerves off the path and onto rougher terrain. His Jeep tears through powerfully as his passengers all scream in enthrallment.  Zoro is stubbornly picking up speed, keeping them beside each other. Usopp, Chopper and Luffy are waving and taunting them from the back. Usopp and Chopper screech when Sanji floors it and they’re tossed around more wildly in their seats. Finally, Sanji manages to overtake Zoro’s truck, swerving back onto the path to cut him off. Laughing in exhilaration, he glances in his rearview mirror and hopes the bastard enjoys the dirt his wheels are kicking up into his windshield. Behind him, his friends and panting and laughing in glee.

“That was _awesome!”_ Luffy shouts, cheering Sanji on.

“Didn’t realize this was a suicide trip.”

Zoro immediately eases off the gas as he glances to his partner seated in the passenger seat, icy glare penetrating him.  A pang of guilt hits him in the chest as he realizes he was too caught up in fucking around. He looks down, catching sight of the gnarled scar creeping on his shoulder over the collar of his green tank top.  

A heavy lull washes over them as Law continues to scowl until finally he cuts the tension by clearing his throat and asking,  “How much longer is the drive?”

“Not far at all.”

They spend the rest of the ride in silence, ambling on at a reasonable speed as they close the gap between them and the red rocks in the distance.  Eventually small pockets of trees pop up around them, Sanji’s Jeep making a few turns before it parks in a clearing they’ve visited time and time again.  Zoro pulls up next to him, unable to keep the grin from his face as his friends excitedly tumble out of the car, hollering about the excitement that just occurred.

“Holy guacamole!” Luffy roars gleefully as he slams the door closed.  “Let’s do that again!”

“You can go die in the desert if you want,” Law grumbles as he walks around to the front of the truck where Luffy is standing.  “Leave me out of it this time.”

As Luffy laughs hysterically, Sanji steps down from his Jeep, checking it over for any obvious damage. Seeing nothing in need of a fix other than the fade of red dust on the pearly white paint, Sanji puts his hands in his pockets and looks over to Zoro, who’s got his eyes intently on Law. “Shit your pants or something?” he teases with a face-splitting grin, pulling out a cigarette from his pocket and lighting up. “Gave up pretty quick.”

“Nah,” Zoro responds absently, fingers automatically finding his chest scar as he keeps his gaze on his boyfriend.

Tilting his head curiously where Zoro’s fingers brush the scar, Sanji’s expression turns solemn. Maybe they’d let things get a little out of hand. That was reckless of them. Inhaling deeply and sighing, smoke billows from his lips as he heads for the back of his Jeep. He calls out behind him, “Everyone help unload. Let’s set up camp.”

They all work together to get everything set up quickly, cracking open their first drinks in the process. By the time their gear is laid out and the tents are up with their sleeping bags rolled out inside, most of them are on their second drink with the exception of Zoro, who’s finishing his third. Usopp and Chopper unload the firewood they’d bought and focus on building the perfect structure for the bonfire.

Luffy is already bouncing in anticipation of s’mores and roasted hot dogs. He’s riffling around in the cooler when he barks out to everyone. “Who’s got the wieners?!”

Sanji separates the tallboy can of Heineken from his lips to retort, “They’re in there. Don’t have a mental breakdown or anything.”

“I don’t see them!” Luffy says, digging through the ice madly.

Sanji groans and walks briskly over to help him find them, not wanting him to further wreck his organization of the cooler.

Zoro lets out a satisfied sigh after another swig of rum, legs dangling from where he’s seated on the bed of his truck.  The liquor’s calmed the uneasiness in his gut and he looks around the camp, happy with the set-up. Reminds him of when they used to come to this spot as kids.  Glad it’s still here. The red rocks looming over them fill him with a serenity that he hasn’t felt in so many years. The closest he could compare it to was the feeling he used to get when his ship would pull into port after months at sea.

He glances to his right where Law’s tapping away on his phone, his red solo cup of whiskey resting on his other side.  They haven’t spoken since they started setting up camp. Shifting to close the space between them, Zoro hooks an arm around his boyfriend’s shoulders and pulls him close.  He silently apologizes for earlier by pressing a kiss to Law’s temple.

Law tucks the phone in his pocket and connects their eyes, the edges of his steely glare softening.  “It’s fine,” he assures, placing a hand on Zoro’s knee, fingers stroking the light material of his sweats.  “No harm done.”

The smirk on his partner’s face pulls Zoro in and he presses their lips together, wanting to make sure his feelings are known.  Law knows the story behind the scar on his chest and the way his partner scrutinized him in the truck was out of concern, not anger.  Just a dumbass move. Being out in the desert with his old friends has Zoro reverting back to some form of teenage version of himself from the sheer nostalgia of it all.  Needs to know when to turn it off.

After pulling up the pack of hotdogs with triumph and shoving them in Luffy’s face, Sanji closes the cooler, this time snapping the locks closed and dangling the key around his finger before slipping it in his pocket. Taking a sip from his beer, he turns in Zoro’s direction where the man is seated on the bed of his truck, having a quiet moment with Law. Catching their lips closing together, Sanji quickly turns away, focusing his gaze on the beauty of their location. The red rocks are a sight to behold no matter how many times he’s seen them. They tower over the tree line, the formations smooth and engorged with a gorgeous fade of red, orange, brown and tan hues streaming across in striations. It’s been too long since he’d been out here.

The sound of Usopp snickering pulls Zoro away from his kiss with Law, looking up to find both him and Chopper laughing quietly in their direction.  “Fuck off,” he swears at them as Law chuckles and tugs out of his hold. “Cockblocks.”

Hearing the laughter behind him, Sanji tilts his head back for only a second before walking off into the thin line of trees, weaving through them to get a closer look at the rocks. When he’s at their base, he places his palm to the impressive natural stone, feeling it's cool temperature and gruff texture against his skin. Staring up, the height of them is dizzying. It always is upon first glance. Smirking, he pats the rock gently and continues on his way along the base of them. He may be desperate to leave everything behind, but his friends and these sights make it an awfully difficult decision. However, as much as he loves his friends, they can’t possibly fill the void inside. Neither can these rocks.

Sanji remembers feeling a similar kind of way many, many years ago. Wishing all these rocks or the dirt at his feet could satisfy a very basic need to sustain him. Frowning gravely as he continues to slowly amble on, Sanji ghosts his fingertips along the stone and places a tender palm to his stomach. He suddenly remembers all too well why leaving town is such a troublesome reality for him, immersing himself in an old familiar guilt he’s become accustomed to.

It doesn’t take Sanji long before he stops by a red boulder at his feet, the dramatic voices of his friends echoing not far away but their figures completely out of sight. He sits on top of the rock, sipping from his beer and staring up at what he can see of the sprawling blue sky as he plunges deep in thought, expression troubled.

Usopp manages to get their campfire glowing quickly after he and Chopper finish setting up.  He proudly rests his foot on a nearby log and declares himself the king of fire building. Caught up in his ridiculousness, Chopper and Luffy both thrust their drinks into the air and cheer him on.  Zoro hops off the bed of the truck and moves to the cooler to grab the bottle of rum that’s chilling on the ice. He scowls as he realizes its locked and searches the camp for any sight of the blond bastard who has the key.

“Where’s that dumbass?” Zoro wonders aloud, tapping his empty solo cup against his thigh.  

“Sanji went that way,” Chopper informs him, pointing to the trees.  “I thought he was peeing but he hasn’t come back.”

“Well I need booze,” Zoro complains gruffly as he heads in the direction that Chopper’s indicated, looking around for any sign of the man.

“He’s probably pooping!” Luffy shouts blatantly. “You know how secretive he is about that.”

“Hey, moron!” Zoro cups his hand to his mouth and yells into the distance as he walks deeper into the woods.  “Get your dumb ass back here!”

Sanji is just finishing lighting up a cigarette when he peeks up beyond his hand, hearing Zoro calling to him from a distance. He frowns, patting his pocket in realization. Damn. He took the key to the cooler with him. Should’ve taken his chances and left it open so the booze hound could get his immediate fix and he could have some time alone in his head.

_“Sanji!”_

Brows furrowing at the urgent call of his name, from Zoro no less, Sanji sighs and hops to his feet. Taking the cigarette from his mouth, he calls back while walking towards the campsite, “I’m coming! Don’t throw a fit!”

Zoro’s ears perk at the sound of Sanji’s voice drawing nearer, smirking as he shouts towards the rocks, “Need booze!”

Ignoring the demand entirely, Sanji just scowls as he walks forward until he sees a figure ambling towards him. Recognizing it to be Zoro, he doesn’t increase his pace but gets his key ready to pass it off. Finally they’re close enough and he doesn’t have to shout. “Forgot I had it with me,” he explains in a neutral tone, stopping in front of Zoro and handing him the key. “Don’t let those morons eat all the food.”

Zoro wraps his fingers around the key and tucks it into his pocket for safekeeping.  Moving to return back to camp, he stalls as Sanji’s comment settles on him. Peering over his shoulder, he reaches back and ensnares the man by his thin wrist, dragging him forward.  “C’mon, let’s do shots.”

Eyes widening by the unexpected gesture and invitation, Sanji pulls away from his grip but quickens his stride beside his old friend with a comfortable smile. Shots don’t sound so bad.

Zoro pauses at a tree just outside their camp, thrusting his cup and the cooler key into Sanji’s hand and gripping the waist of his pants.  “Gotta piss,” he explains as he nods towards the camp. “Tell Law to fill my drink.”

Sanji waves him off callously, walking back to the campsite and brushing off Chopper’s worried questions on where he went. Zoro’s cup in hand, he unlocks and opens the cooler, filling the cup halfway with ice and grabbing the handle of dark rum, pouring him a triple. Then he walks over to the truck where Law is still sitting and quietly sets it down, catching the tall man’s lingering stare for only a fragment of a second before making his way to the others by the campfire.

Re-emerging from the trees, Zoro spots his drink waiting for him on the bed of the truck and beelines for it.  He greedily brings it to his lips for a sip while muttering a quiet thanks to Law. The man simply grunts in return, immersed in whatever he’s playing on his phone.  Leaving his partner behind, Zoro makes his way to the campfire and plops in the dirt next to Luffy, lifting his cup to the group, “Told duckhead we’re doing shots.”

Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp each raise their drinks in response, cheering wildly at the suggestion.  Zoro calls out over his shoulder to where Law’s still seated on the truck bed, “You too, ya loner.”  He glances at Sanji and motions to the drink in his hand, “And you, blondie.”

Giving Zoro an energetic look, Sanji glances between his friends, seeing that they have the drinks they’ve been working on but no shots. He takes it upon himself to pour four separate solo cups of tequila, slicing a lemon on top of the cooler to go with them. Looking to Law who is idling near him, he asks with a devilish grin, “Want some tequila? Or Crown?”

Law looks between the two options and holds out his empty cup, “Tequila.  No lemon for me.”

After giving Law’s cup a generous splash, he holds the four cups between his fingers on one hand and carries the slices of lemon in the other. Doling them out to his excited friends, he finally sits, Law settling across from the flames beside Zoro.

“Cheers to old times!” Luffy shouts loudly, voice echoing in the empty sky. “Let’s get wasted!”

They all raise their cups and slide the potent liquids back. Usopp, Chopper, Sanji and Luffy’s features all scrunch up from biting into their lemons as Zoro and Law swallow neatly, completely unfazed. Sanji tosses his lemon slice into the flames, the other three following his example soon after.

Emptying his cup, Zoro looks to the white bottom, dissatisfied with the idea of constantly having to get up and get more booze.  He stands and ambles over to the cooler, tugging out his bottle of Captain and Law’s Crown, bringing them back to the fire with him.  After topping up his partner’s drink, he abandons his own solo cup in favor of taking a pull of rum directly from the bottle. He lets out a hefty sigh.  “That’s more like it.”

Sanji does one better. He gets up and drags the cooler closer to them at the bonfire, in particular right within his reach so he can continue to fix people’s drinks.

“Grab me another beer, Sanji!” Usopp says, waving his empty can of Heineken at him.

“Another Palm Bay for me!”

“Peach bologna!”

“Bologna?” Law asks incredulously, not yet used to Luffy’s quirks.

Sanji fulfills all the requests, tossing them their cans. He touches drinks with Usopp, acknowledging their respective love for the brand of beer. Finishing off what’s left of his, he pulls out a smaller can of Redd’s Wicked, smirking in anticipation for the potent cider. He cracks it open and tilts it back on his mouth for a long, strong gulp.

Hours after a campfire meal of hotdogs and beans provided by Sanji, the sun is just beginning to set and their campsite is a disaster zone of laughter, screaming and bumbling antics. Sanji, Usopp and Luffy have their arms around each other, faces flushed brightly red as they sway and stagger along, attempting to walk as one. Luffy trips over Chopper who is passing out on the ground and sends the three of them careening to the ground. As they roll and laugh hysterically, Luffy suddenly gets to his feet, pulling out a baggie from his shorts and taking one of the joints he and Law had rolled earlier that day.

“Traffy!” he calls deafeningly loud, not even looking to see where the man in question is. “Come smoke!”

Zoro relinquishes Law’s lips from where he’s snuck the two of them out of sight on the other side of the truck.  They share a lustful gaze and he lifts his head to reply on his partner’s behalf. Much to his surprise, a cool hand covers his lips to prevent him from responding.

“Could use a smoke.”

Frowning as the slender man disentangles from him, Zoro watches Law disappear back to the group near the campfire.  He grabs the bottle of rum he’d abandoned in the dirt and takes a swig, the handle now only a quarter full. Taking a second to settle down, he adjusts himself and steps back towards the foray, spotting Law already seated next to Luffy.

“Oh shit, you smoke?” Usopp asks as Zoro plops down in his earlier spot, sitting cross legged and resting his beer in his lap.

“Don’t sound so surprised,” Law returns as he plucks the joint and lighter from Luffy’s fingers and looks it over.  “I rolled this one.” He brings it to his lips and lights up, taking the first drag before blowing smoke at Luffy. “So I go first.”

“Are those Virginia rules or something?” Luffy grumbles as he impatiently watches Law take another puff.  After the second exhale, he reaches his hands out, wiggling his fingers as he demands, “Gimme! Gimme!”

Law snickers as he passes the joint.

Sanji is still on his back with Chopper, forcing him to stay awake by poking, kicking and shaking him out of his stupor. “C’mon, Chops!” he shouts, giggling lightheartedly. “Party’s not over yet!”

“Stop, let me sleep!” Chopper moans, turning over.

“Get in the tent at least. Here, I’ll help you,” Sanji offers but doesn’t move an inch, feeling like his body is melded with the ground. They stay motionless for a beat before he bursts out laughing and rolls over onto his side. “Nevermind. I can’t get up.”

Zoro chuckles to himself, having heard the exchange a few feet away between Sanji and Chopper.  He heaves himself up and wanders to the two of them, placing his hands on his hips and grinning.  “Let’s get you to bed.” Squatting down, he picks up Chopper’s giggling form and hauls him over shoulder, squinting into the setting sun as he carries him over to the tent.  He twists to unzip it and lightly chucks his friend onto the bed of blankets and sleeping bags they had set up earlier. “Night, Chops.”

“Night, Zoro.” The slurring, small voice calls back to him as he rezips the tent.

“Zoro! Smoke!”

Shaking his head, Zoro pushes away Luffy’s offering hand, choosing to settle with his alcohol again.  Never was one for weed -- always preferred to just get drunk. He glances to the red and orange hued sky and then back to his liquor.  At this rate, he should be teetering on the edge of intoxication not too long after nightfall. He takes another swallow from the bottle and raises an eyebrow as he feels Law’s back lean against his arm.  “Feelin’ good?”

“Blazed,” he partner retorts with a short laugh.

Having lost his partner in crime, Usopp has his own joint lit in his mouth as he crawls over to Sanji who has now taken over Chopper’s role as the group’s weakest link. “Hey, Sanji! Don’t wimp out on us now!”

Sanji hums and nestles further into the ground, his hands folded under his head, serving as a pillow. Groaning as Usopp slaps him repeatedly on the arm, he frowns and bats him away. Shirt now riding up and his lower back exposed, he feels something tickle his side.

“Sopp, stop,” he murmurs annoyedly.

“Stop what?”

“Stop tickling me!”

“I’m not touching you.” A beat. “Oh. _Oh_. Sanji, don’t panic,” Usopp says, tone lowering in amusement. “You’ve got a little friend on your back.”

Sanji’s eyes fly open as Usopp begins laughing behind him. Connecting the dots in his hazy state, he jolts up, all weariness draining from his body as he feels more tiny movements skittering onto the middle of his back. His blood turns cold, features intensifying in absolute horror. Immediately, he reaches behind him in a flurry of desperate flails, trying to get whatever disgusting insect it is off.

“Get it off, Usopp!” he cries urgently. “Don’t just fucking laugh at me! Asshole!” This only causes Usopp to curl over, holding his stomach and tumbling to the ground in pure hysteria as Sanji stands and rips his shirt off, tossing it aside in his hurry. “Is it off?” he asks, panting heavily and positioning his back to Usopp. Punching behind him as his so-called friend keeps laughing, Sanji reiterates dangerously, “Is. It. _Off_?”

Usopp wipes his eyes and raises slightly to squint at Sanji’s bare back. “It’s off! Stop punching me!”

“Check my shirt, see if it’s in there!” Sanji demands, pointing to his abandoned shirt beside them with another hand to his hair in distress.

Usopp shakes his head, reaching over to grab the shirt. He says, amusement in his tone, “It was just a harmless spider. Geez.”

There’s a genuine shudder up Sanji’s spine. “ _A spider?!”_ he shouts, high-pitched.

“Pansy,” Zoro mutters quietly by the fire, having watched Sanji’s spectacle unfold.

“Shut up!” Sanji retorts lamely, too frazzled to come up with anything better. He takes the shirt Usopp hands to him, watching in disgust as his friend shows him the spider in question crawling along his fingers. “Fucking _nasty_.”

Plucking the joint from his lips, Usopp offers it to Sanji after the man’s finished haphazardly  putting his shirt back on. Sanji takes the joint gratefully, burning up the tip.

Zoro snickers as he watches Sanji smoke, calling over, “Shirt’s on backwards, dumbass.”

“Don’t care,” Sanji says sloppily, plopping back down onto the ground by the fire, feeling his knees give out due the mix of his adrenaline rush crashing and the pleasant buzz turning his muscles to mush. Sighing heavily to release the remainder of his stress, his fuzzy vision notices Usopp making his way towards Luffy who’s stumbling out of the trees.

“Did you guys hear that?!” Luffy yells energetically.

Usopp responds. “Hear what?”

“‘Yotes!” Luffy exclaims, pointing aggressively in the distance. “I was peeing and I heard ‘em over there! ‘Yotes!”

Sanji rubs his bleary eyes. Knowing Luffy’s weird lingo, he answers tiredly, “Coyotes? Shit. We gotta lock up all the food in the cars before we pass out.” Attempting to stand, he stumbles backwards onto his ass again with a grunt. “Shit.”

“We’ll handle it,” Law states as he pulls out his phone again, tapping on the screen.  “Don’t worry about it.”

Zoro grunts in agreement as he leans back on his palms, head turned up to the now darkening sky.  The stars are coming out in full effect, brightly shining down over their campsite. A warm comfort blankets him at the sight.  Tilting his head to Law sitting at his side, he comments idly, “Stars are brighter here than Norfolk.”

Law sets down his phone for a brief moment and glances up to the sky.  “Sure are,” he agrees quietly before returning to his screen.

Shaking his head, Zoro twists to return to his stargazing but his eye is caught by something else.  Across the fire, Sanji’s stare is turned up to the sky, a pensive calm set across his features. Zoro remains motionless, gaping at the thoughtful expression on his friend’s face.  His skin is buzzing, warmth pooling in the pit of his gut and only when he feels stirring to his left does he find himself shaken from his trance. Silently he flicks his eyes back to the shimmering stars above them, attributing whatever he just felt to his drunken state.

Feeling an arm bump against him, he glances over to see Law’s scooted closer, nose still buried in his phone.  He smirks with amusement and reaches to take the device from his partner’s hand, tucking it in his pocket. Before his boyfriend can protest, he steals his lips in a heartfelt kiss.

The sound of their liplocking tears Sanji’s attention away from the brilliant expanse of the night’s sky. His foggy state has his eyes lingering there longer than appropriate, but the hollow feeling inside becomes his motivator to look away. He pulls his knees further up to his chest and rests his forehead there, feeling a wave of exhaustion hit him all at once. He hates how much it bothers him to watch them be how they’re supposed to be. It’s not right, the way he’s feeling. And it’s not just because he’s hammered.

Knowing he’s beginning to cusp on passing out, Sanji dips down on his elbow to his side before laying on the ground fully and curling up. He closes his eyes, his eyelids relieving the sting of burnout, wanting to shut everything out and let the blackness take over entirely.

After separating from his partner’s lips, Zoro looks around the camp at the sight of their remaining friends all completely passed out.  Usopp and Luffy are laying haphazardly across one another and Sanji’s curled up on the ground. He shares an amused look with Law and asks in a low voice, “When did I become the responsible one?”

“That’s a scary thought,” Law deadpans before his face lights up in a smirk as he rises to his feet.  “Sort them out and I’ll lock up the food.”

Zoro stands into a stretch, yawning with the movement.  He starts with Usopp and Luffy, first tapping them to see if they’re awake and sighing at the lack of response.  He hoists Luffy’s limber body over shoulder and grips Usopp under arm, taking notice his friend’s gotten heavier over the years.  Once he has them finagled into the tent next to Chopper, he heads back to where Sanji’s still laying.

“Hey,” he says as he kneels next to his friend and pokes him in the shoulder.  Sanji lets out a low grumble and nuzzles further against his hands, remaining fast asleep.  Tucking an arm under the man’s knees and the other under his head, Zoro cautiously lifts the light form and carries him to join the other three in the larger tent.  He uses his foot push Usopp’s sprawled body out of the way and creates a space to lie Sanji down in. Smirking as the man immediately curls up against Usopp’s back, Zoro takes his leave, zipping the tent up behind him.

Feeling that same warmth from earlier glowing in the depths of his gut, Zoro stops to gaze up at the stars one last time.  His brief moment is interrupted by the sound of a car door closing and Law calling over to him quietly.

“Ready to turn in?”

Smirking, Zoro shakes his head and strides back to the fireside.  “Go ahead,” he says as he settles back on the ground, finding his bottle of rum.  “There’s still liquor to drink.”

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Macaco is Portugese for Monkey  
> Canard is French for Duck


	4. Chapter 4

 

Hesitating briefly at the entrance to Zeff’s, Zoro raises an eyebrow at the sound of raucous laughter on the other side of the door.  It’s a Monday night and after dark at that. Didn’t realize the normally empty place pulled any crowd during the week. Shrugging it off, he tugs open the door and steps inside, his earlier perplexion answered the moment he catches sight of a familiar group of men situated around a table in the back of the bar.

Hunched in their seats with playing cards in hand, Zoro spots the scowl of his own father, penetrating stare set on the boisterously laughing man across from him.  Zeff’s expression is blank, obviously more serious about this round of poker. Probably has a good hand. And finally there’s Shanks -- the source of the noise heard outside the door -- red hair and scarred features as recognizable as ever.  Grinning to himself, Zoro crosses the small space to his normal seat at the counter, only tearing his gaze away to acknowledge the waiting bartender. He’s met with an empty bar, raising an eyebrow with surprise.

“Don’t worry, squid.  He’s in the back.”

Zoro glances over to find Zeff staring at him, an amused gleam in his eye.  “Need a drink,” he retorts humorously, giving the older man a smirk. 

“Of course you do,” Mihawk sighs, laying his cards face down and steepling his fingers.  “Navy’s only made your little drinking problem worse.”

Zoro scowls in response, his heavy stare falling obviously on the pint of beer resting in front of his father.  

Sanji walks out from the back, rubbing sanitizer on his hands and shaking his head at the boisterous laughter of Shanks and his dad bouncing off the walls of the room. As he looks up, he spots a face that’s becoming all too familiar lately, a happy smirk immediately sprouting and lifting his cheeks. Noticing Zoro’s got a coaster at the ready but no drink, Sanji jabs, “Surprised you didn’t just come back and help yourself like the other night.” 

“Didn’t want your pops trying to give me a job,” Zoro responds with a grin, crossing his arms and nodding at the bar.  “Whiskey.”

Eyeing Zoro up and down with a heavy stare, Sanji’s expression lightens up playfully and he twists around to comply. Seconds later, he places the drink down in front of him, letting Zoro’s dark eyes send a pleasant shiver down his spine. Remembering the man’s boyfriend and cursing himself for falling into this strange new pace, Sanji backs off, turning his back to Zoro to rip open a case of beer and begin stocking the racks of the fridge below. 

Taking a drink of the amber liquid, Zoro’s stare lingers on Sanji briefly until he feels an arm wrap around his shoulders as a body fills the empty stool next to him.  He glances to his left and finds Shanks’ beaming smile turned on him, eyes bright with excitement.

“Zoro, my boy!” he thunders loudly, squeezing Zoro’s shoulders in a side hug before releasing his hold.  “Welcome home! Was hoping I’d run into you.”

Zoro looks the man over, his infectious smile causing his own grin to widen.  Shanks has been friends with his dad as far back as he can remember. He seems to be the same as always with his chipper attitude and loud presence.  “Good seein’ you,” Zoro returns with a pat to Shanks’ back. “Glad to be home.”

“Sanji!” Zeff calls over from the poker table.  “Another round, eggplant.”

Sliding in the final bottle of Budweiser, Sanji sighs and stands, turning halfway to yell back, “I’d better be getting a fat tip for dealing with your shit tonight, old man.” He begins preparing their drinks, a vodka tonic for his dad, Stella draft for Mihawk, and Kraken dark rum neat for Shanks.

“Make sure you’re putting mine on my tab, young man,” Mihawk instructs as he begins shuffling the cards.  He sends a glare Zoro’s way and adds, “That ruffian too.”

“Sure,” Sanji responds, placing the drinks on a tray and glancing Zoro’s way as Shanks walks off back to the poker table. “See that?” he says to Zoro with a crooked grin as he lifts the tray. “Your dad’s got class, paying for his hobo of a son.” 

Zoro shoots Sanji a glare as he raises his glass to his lips.  In the past he wouldn’t have wanted his old man to pay for his drinks and realistically, the man wouldn’t have offered.  He knows it’s his father’s way of welcoming him home. After taking a long swallow, he quips with a smirk, “Free booze now means more drinkin’ money for later.”

Sanji just rolls his eyes with a shake of his head and walks around the bar to drop off the drinks across the room. After brushing off his dad’s nagging about keeping their glasses full, he makes his way back behind the bar. He lingers in front of Zoro, straightening out a glass stacked underneath the bartop as he says, “They’re catching up on old times. Already pretty buzzed. They’ll be a pain. Sure you don’t got better things to do?” 

Zoro gestures to the glass of whiskey and the empty bar.  “These are my plans.” He rests his forearms on the counter and grins.  “Those old coots don’t bother me anyway.”

Sanji perks a brow, staring at Zoro curiously. “What’s Law up to?” 

Rapping his knuckles gently against his glass, Zoro shrugs indifferently.  “Was headed to bed soon when I left.”

“He’s an old man too, huh?” Sanji jokes, leaning over the counter and propping his chin in his palm. “Or maybe he’s not all that into bars? Not a drunk like you.” 

“Doesn’t like spending time with ducks,” Zoro jabs back, finishing off his whiskey and sliding the empty glass to Sanji.  His grin falters to a more serious expression as he rubs the back of his neck. “Nah, he started work today. Long day, he said.”

“Oh yeah. He works like the rest of us,” Sanji says, poking more fun at his friend. 

Zoro glances over, feeling a familiar tension building in his muscles.  The penetrating glare of his father is turned in their direction, obviously having heard Sanji’s last statement.  “How  _ is _ that job hunt of yours, son?” the man calls over as he returns to his cards, idly organizing them.  “Been back a week already. Hope you’ve started looking.”

“Took last week to get settled,” Zoro answers with a heavy sigh, giving Sanji a dirty look.  “Gonna start tomorrow.”

“What do you mean by ‘settling?’” Mihawk challenges with a snort.  “Zeff says you’re his new best customer, drinking up here almost nightly.  Is that what you mean?”

“Make the next one a double,” Zoro tells Sanji as he grimaces at his empty glass.  

Picking up the whiskey and pouring it in the near-empty glass, Sanji gives him an amused yet helpless look. “Spoke a little too loud.”

“These damn kids,” Zeff agrees with a boisterous laugh, taking a large gulp of his drink.  “Mine just sits up here and bitches all day. A pain in the ass!”

“Let’s not talk about your tantrums while you bumble around back in that kitchen,” Sanji retorts. “Fucked up two orders today. Swear you’re going deaf and blind, you old fart. Can’t read the damn chits or hear what I tell you.” 

“Now, now, your boys grew up into fine men!” Shanks chimes in loudly, words slightly slurring with his drunken merriment.  “Remember when they were just little tykes and would get in fist fights up here? Thought you’d blow your stack, Canard!”

“Ha! The little cactus had to get stitches that one time.” Zeff roars with laughter, slamming a fist on the table.  “Still got that scar, boy?”

Sanji’s smirk is wide as he murmurs quietly to Zoro. “Cactus. Forgot about that one.”

“Shut up,  _ eggplant _ ,” Zoro sneers as he twists to respond to Zeff.  “Still got it.”

“Those nitwits have always been trouble,” Mihawk agrees as he deals out another round of cards.  

Suddenly, the door bursts open and Luffy dashes inside, huffing as he holds up his phone in triumph, “Sanji! Did you know there’s a Charmander outside your bar?!”

“Luffy, you gotta stop playing that stupid game on the street. You almost got hit by a car last month,” Sanji grouses as his friend sloppily jumps onto a bar stool and happily grins at his phone. 

“It was worth it for that Golem.” A long pause before Luffy hears gruff conversation behind him. He twists around to see the poker match taking place and the men involved. “Oh! All the pops are here!” 

“You’re just noticing this now?” Sanji asks incredulously, opening the beer fridge to grab Luffy a can. 

Waving excitedly, Luffy shouts loudly, “Hey Shanks! Hey Mr. Hawky! Hey Mr. Duck! Poker night?!” 

“You know it, Luffy!” Shanks raises his cards.  “Did you come to give me good luck?”

“I need all my luck!” Luffy replies as he takes a long gulp of his beer.  “I gotta beat Traffy’s pinball score.”

Zoro shakes his head, amused grin on his face.  Luffy’s been ranting all week about how he can’t beat Law’s high score on his damn game.  “He’ll just come beat you again,” he teases the younger man.

“Then I’ll beat him again! He’s probably cheating!”

“How does someone cheat at pinball?” Sanji asks exasperatedly.

“Dunno! But Traffy’s doing it!” Luffy hops off the stool and rushes to the machine waiting for him in the corner.  

Taking another drink of whiskey, Zoro listens as the music from the game fills the room, mixing with the sounds of the old men chatting over their cards.  A comfortable feeling of being home washes over him as he meets Sanji’s eye, smirking against his glass. “Just like old times.”

Sanji clasps his hands around the edge of the bartop, taking in Zoro’s words as he scans the room and its inhabitants over with a fond look, smiling with his eyes and remaining quiet.

“How’d your camping trip go last week?” Zeff asks gruffly from the corner as he motions to Sanji with his empty glass.

Sanji opens his mouth to speak, but Luffy swiftly interrupts him. 

“Oh, it was  _ so cool! _ Usopp found a scorpion and Zoro got lost and Sanji freaked out over a spider!”

“I will reset that pinball machine if you don’t shut your mouth over there, Luffy!” Sanji yells aggressively. 

“What?!” Luffy whips his head around to stare at Sanji with shock.  “What’s the big deal! It was fun! Remember when we were hiking and you fell off that rock because Chopper and Usopp scared you?”

“Idiot,” Zoro says with a snort, reflecting on the moment with amusement.  “Busted your ass.”

Sanji’s expression is irate as he slams his palm on the counter and makes a serious move to get around the bar. “That’s it. I’m resetting it you little shit.”

“No! Wait!” Luffy protests, fumbling with his response as he shouts desperately over his game. “Then Zoro threw a rock at you and you threw one back and it hit him in the balls!” 

Sanji stops mid-stride, almost on the other side of the bar. He retreats back, smirking and shooting a look Zoro’s way. “Now  _ that  _ was funny.”

A scowl forms on Zoro’s face as he hears the trio of old fucks burst into a chorus of laughter, their guffawing resonating around the bar.  “Dumb bastard,” Zoro snarls in Sanji’s direction, feeling a ghost of pain in his groin. 

“How did your city boyfriend enjoy the desert?” Mihawk asks through stifled laughter.  His feeble attempt to save his son’s dignity only makes Zoro’s frown deepen.

Finishing off his whiskey, Zoro pauses to formulate his response.  Law hadn’t seemed to like the hike much at all. Most of their joking around seemed to grate his nerves and he’d been bored pretty much the whole way.  They were never really outdoorsy together in Virginia so it wasn’t a side of the man he’d seen before. That’s not to say he wasn’t a good sport -- he didn’t gripe or complain too much.  Zoro could just tell through his body language he didn’t have as much fun as the rest of them.

“Traffy hated it!” Luffy bluntly answers for him, forgetting his pinball game to chat about their trip.  “He didn’t like when I put a lizard on his shoulder! And his phone died so he couldn’t play solitaire anymore.”

“Just wasn’t his thing,” Zoro adds nonchalantly, nodding at Sanji after his whiskey is refilled.  “Not much hiking in Norfolk.”

“That’s a shame,” Mihawk berates with a shake of his head.  He finishes his beer and waves off Zeff’s gesture for another round.  “I’ll be leaving after this hand, Canard.”

“What’s he do again?” Shanks asks, laying down his cards and grinning as the other two men grimace. 

“Pharmacist.”

“Ah, a moneymaker.  He can afford to entertain himself other ways,” Shanks responds with a laugh as he collects the cash laying on the table, counting out a handful of bills and tossing them back down.  “Should cover my tab.”

“Cash me out, young man,” Mihawk signals to Sanji as he stands.  “I’ll make sure these two drunken fools get home.”

Sanji nods, adding up Mihawk’s tab and printing it off of the old register. He slides it across the counter as the older man strides over towards the bar. He watches as Mihawk carefully reads the paper over before nodding, accepting the price and succinctly pulling out an appropriate amount of cash to cover it. Sanji takes the money and asks, “Change?” 

“Of course not,” Mihawk responds with a frown.

“Thanks, pops,” Zoro acknowledges with a nod towards his glass.

“Don’t drink all your money away,” his father warns solemnly before twisting on his heel to herd out the other two drunken men.

“Goodnight, little duckling!” Shanks shouts back to Sanji as they head to the exit.

“Lock up behind us, eggplant,” Zeff gruffly orders as he takes his leave.

As the door swings closed, Sanji sighs heavily, staring ahead at the poker table strewn with money, chips, cards and empty glasses. He mutters, “Would it kill him to pick up after himself in his own goddamn establishment.” 

Zoro hauls himself from his stool and strolls to the door.  “Got this,” he says as he locks up and turns off the ‘open’ sign.  

“I’ll help you clean up, Sanji,” Luffy also concedes with a slight whine in his voice.  “Can’t beat Traffy’s score.”

Sanji smirks to himself as he takes a tray and heads over to the poker table. His friends are idiots but at least they’re not useless. “What’re you going to do if you’re not king of pinball anymore?” 

“I’m gonna be king of pinball again, just you wait!” Luffy shouts with determination, hitting his fist in his palm.  “I’ll triple his score.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Sanji grumbles, putting the glasses and money on his tray. “Just put the cards and chips away for me, will you?” 

“Why don’t we play a round?” Luffy asks excitedly, eyes darting over the poker set up.  “Remember when we used to play after they got too trashed?”

“Yeah,” Sanji says coolly, strolling back to the bar with the tray. “That’d be unfair as always. Your poker face sucks, Luffy.” He glances to Zoro. “And you just plain suck at it.” 

“Fuck off.  Played a shitload in the Navy,” Zoro replies smugly, crossing his arms and giving Sanji a defiant grin.  “Would kick your ass.”

“We’ll have to see about that,” Sanji sings with a hum, placing the dirty cups in the glasswasher. 

“We should play strip poker!” Luffy exclaims, chugging back several mouthfuls of beer as he scrambles together the cards on the poker table. 

“That will never happen,” Sanji says with a sharp turn of his head. As he looks over, he notices the lightbulb above the pool table’s lamp flickering again. Hasn’t seen it do that since Zoro’s first night back.

Zoro checks the time on his phone as he crosses to the table, eyebrow raising as he sees he has a text from Law.  Twenty minutes ago. He unlocks the screen as he takes a seat, reading over some little quip from a movie the man was apparently watching earlier.  “Was Law up when you left?” he asks Luffy, typing away a response.

“Yeah, he was watching a documentary and drinking coffee,” Luffy explains as he begins shuffling the cards.  “It was about drugs but not the cool kind so I got bored and came here.”

“That him texting you now?” Sanji asks as casually as he can, even though he’s very curious about Zoro’s response. He can’t help but wonder why Zoro continues to spend his nights here in this bar when he’s got a boyfriend at home. Maybe he’s the only one who finds it strange. Maybe they’re just a very casual and independent couple. He knows Zoro has always liked time to himself and Law certainly seems the type as well. It’s part of why they seem so right for each other. He frowns as he polishes some glasses -- maybe he’s the one just trying to see what’s desirable for himself. 

“Yeah,” Zoro responds as he types another text and lays his phone on the table.  The device buzzes again, causing him to grimace. He doesn’t like to text often, and definitely not about medical documentaries.

Sanji turns to give Zoro a slightly concerned expression. “Go home. He’s probably bored.” 

“Nah,” Zoro dismisses half-heartedly, shoving his phone into his pocket and twisting to meet Sanji’s gaze.  He flashes his friend a cocky grin. “Gotta kick your ass at poker first.” 

 

* * *

  
  


Taking a slow sip from his coffee, Sanji listens as Usopp takes an order for a customer behind him. He focuses his vision back on the laptop in front of him as he’s settled on one of the high top tables of the cafe. He’s just finished applying to several cuisine programs in New York City. He’s already a great cook but if he’s to pursue anything professional, he will need to prove his skills through school. Moving to the Big Apple has been on his mind for several years now, but the expense of living there and being forced to part with his friends has kept him from doing it. Not to mention his dad, which is another issue entirely. However, now that he’s saved a large cushion amount in his bank account, he doesn’t see why he shouldn’t try. If he gets accepted, he’ll be more encouraged to make the change he so desperately needs. 

Now looking at apartment and room rentals, Sanji is frowning at the cost of it all. He can’t believe how much more expensive it is since the last time he looked into this. But the city offers so much to see and do, it’s probably worthwhile for a short amount of years at least. He’s not used to much cultural stimulation growing up in the Arizona desert, so it will be an exciting and welcomed change. Palm under his chin as he’s deep in concentration, Sanji jumps slightly when he feels a hand rest on his back. 

Usopp laughs in the now empty cafe. “Whoops. Didn’t mean to scare you. Sure you don’t want me to make you a latte or something?”

“No, I’m good. Thanks,” Sanji responds, gratefully holding up his mug of black coffee as Usopp peers over his shoulder.

“Twelve hundred for a room? That’s ridiculous,” Usopp says with a scowl. “Sure your wallet can handle NYC?”

“No.” Sanji chuckles with a shrug, perching his feet up on the bottom beam of the chair. “I should be able to survive my first year no problem with what I’ve saved. After that, guess I’ll be screwed.” He laughs again as Usopp shakes his head and pats him harshly on the back. 

“And I thought Cali was expensive,” Usopp responds thoughtfully. “Well, I hope you get in to the programs you applied to. Even if it’s going to make you broke.” 

Sanji hums in agreement as he stares morosely at his laptop screen. Changing the topic to more interesting matters, he asks, “So how are things with Nami?” 

Usopp chuckles lightly and gives a half-hearted shrug.  “We’re just friends. Nothing’s changed really.”

Twisting back to his friend with an incredulous look, Sanji’s pitch heightens. “Nothing’s changed?”

“Well, I mean -- yeah, there’s  _ that, _ ” Usopp backpedals, a sheepish grin on his face.  “But we aren’t serious or anything. I don’t think she wants that so I’m just going with the flow.”

Sanji nods, accepting that Usopp is opening up a bit about the situation. “She’s not usually into serious relationships. I haven’t talked with her much about it. Do you want serious?” 

Sighing heavily, Usopp tugs out the chair opposite Sanji’s and hauls himself into it.  “Yes? No? I don’t know.” He leans an elbow on the table and rests his chin in his palm.  “She’s super cool but I always thought of her as just my super cool high school friend. Now it’s more than that and I don’t want to freak her out or anything.”

Sighing and shaking his head, Sanji smirks in amusement. “Way to complicate a good friendship, you dope.” Suddenly, he gives Usopp a dark glare. “And just so you know, if you do anything to hurt her, my next ‘cup of Galdino’ will be shoved down your throat. Got it?” 

“I don’t think she’d be the one to get hurt here,” Usopp grumbles bitterly, staring warily at Sanji.  He lets out another heavy sigh and then a sly smile sprouts on his face. “Speaking of complicated friendships,” he says smugly as he kicks Sanji lightly under the table.  “What’s with you and Zoro?”

Sanji raises a brow at him to feign surprise. Shit. He hopes Usopp isn’t suspecting what it sounds like he is. He asks gruffly, “Meaning?”

“When we were camping you two didn’t try to kill each other every three seconds,” Usopp explains with a roll of his eyes.  “It was weird. And Luffy says he’s at Zeff’s all the time now.”

Sanji scoffs. “He’s still an asshole to me. But we’re not in high school anymore.” Feeling his limbs tingle with nerves, he continues, “Yeah he’s been showing up at Zeff’s a lot. He’s just a drunk without better things to do. Told me Law goes to bed early for work. I guess he gets bored without a job and all.”

Usopp points an accusatory finger in Sanji’s direction.  “I think I’ve figured out what’s going on here.”

Stomach flipping in trepidation, Sanji’s eyes widen slightly. He asks harshly, “What the hell are you talking about?” 

“You feel guilty for not visiting him all those years!” Usopp shakes his head and crosses his arms, a look of sympathy on his face.  “You should’ve come to Texas when we took that guys trip. You two were best friends in high school, after all!”

It’s Sanji’s turn to kick Usopp under the table, his friend shrieking from the harsh attack. “Like hell I’d feel guilty for anything involving that douchebag!” Truthfully, he’s relieved that Usopp didn’t come to a different conclusion. 

“What the hell! That hurt!”  As Usopp kneels down to rub his shin, he glances out the front window of the store and freezes in his movements.  “Oh shit!” he exclaims, grabbing Sanji’s attention with a nod of his head. “Is that Law?”

Sanji follows his head gesture out the window, spotting Zoro’s boyfriend floating towards the cafe. His hand clasps tighter around the edge of the table, nerves hitting him all of a sudden. Shit. The man looks angry. Or maybe that’s just his normal face full of gloom and doom. Sanji can’t tell in this context -- or any context. 

“That’s him,” Sanji confirms quietly.

“Crap,” Usopp hisses, eyes wide with panic.  “I haven’t been alone with him yet. Luffy or Zoro are always around.  I don’t know what to say! It’s so awkward.” He hops up from his chair and starts tugging off his apron.  “Here Sanji, wear this. Pretend you work here. I’ll hide in the back.”

“What?!” Sanji yells, becoming caught up in Usopp’s panic. Firing back the apron, it wraps around Usopp’s face as he curses, “Fuck off! Like I know how to deal with that weirdass any better than you! Just act natural!” 

“Act natural, act natural,” Usopp repeats to himself as he re-ties the apron around his waist, rushing behind the counter just in time for the door to open and Law to wander in.  “Hey, Law!” he greets a little too loudly, voice cracking at the end. “How are you today?”

“Fine,” Law responds quietly as he sends a peculiar glance Sanji’s way.  He stops in front of the counter, squinting at the menu board. “Can I get a large black ‘cup of Gal…’”  Raising an eyebrow, he frowns and sighs. “Can I get a large black coffee?”

“Of course!” Usopp says, before grumbling something about no one appreciating his latte art. 

Sanji keeps his gaze to his laptop, but can’t help the small amusement on his face at Law’s bizarre little fumble. Thankfully his back is to the scene so only the passersby outside would be able to see him from the window. 

“So you working?” Usopp asks nonchalantly, filling up a to-go cup with coffee while Law finishes paying.

“Yes,” Law affirms dryly, tucking away his card and shoving his wallet back into the pocket of his lab coat. 

“Cool, me too.”  Usopp groans as he catches his slip up.  “Well, I guess that’s obvious.” His short laugh is met with silence.  Handing Law his drink, he awkwardly continues, “I’m sure I’ll see you later!”

Unsure of whether or not he should greet Law, Sanji figures the man is in a hurry anyway, so he continues pretending to be invested in what he’s reading on his laptop. When he feels Law’s looming presence over him though, he represses a sigh and shifts around to greet him properly. “Hey Law,” he says with a pleasant smile, tilting his laptop screen down a bit. “Coffee’s good here. First time in?” 

“Yes,” Law replies as he takes a sip from the cup.  Nodding his head, he keeps his gaze on Sanji and states, “Looking for a furniture consignment shop.  Google doesn’t offer much on this town and Zoro said you may know.” He pauses to take another drink.  “Thought I’d go ahead and ask for him.”

Sanji nods, fingers rising to tap at his lips as he ponders. “There’s a good place on Alabasta Road. Family owned.”

“I’ll look into it.”  Law checks the time on his watch and sighs, looking back up at Sanji.  “I’ll let Zoro know we spoke so he doesn’t waste his breath asking again.  I’m sure you’ll see him later.”

The last comment leaves Sanji temporarily speechless, unsure of how to reply. Especially with the subtle yet dangerous sharpness behind the tone. “I won’t,” he says quietly, feeling somewhat ashamed as the mood between them shifts. “Not working tonight.”

“I see,” Law comments as he turns to leave, shrugging indifferently.  “I’m sure he’ll still go out drinking. It’s his favorite hobby.” He gives both men a curt wave and heads out the door.

“See you around,” Sanji calls before the door closes. Rubbing the tension out of his hands, he watches through the window as Law ambles off down the street, his expression perturbed. There was definitely an undercurrent surging beneath that interaction, one which he wants no part of, let alone to be the cause of what’s stirring it up. 

“That went better than I expected,” Usopp declares cheerfully from behind the counter.

Tilting his screen back up, Sanji sighs and responds absentmindedly, “Yeah. Could say that.”

 

* * *

  
  


“Oh, you got your glasses.”

Zoro looks up from the recliner in the living room as Law closes the door and peers at him with amusement.  “Yeah,” he confirms with a nod as he rests his phone on his lap. “Picked ‘em up today.”

“You look like an old man,” Law deadpans as he shrugs off his white lab coat and turns to head down the hall to their temporary bedroom.

“Rather look old than be old like you,” Zoro calls out to him.  He’s met with silence so he returns back to the job website he has pulled up on his phone.  Nami had suggested it to him -- said that’s where most of the local businesses post these days.  As he continues to scroll, he still can’t believe how much easier it is to see. Though he hates to admit it, the glasses seem to have been a good decision.  After reading a few more listings, he lets out a discouraged sigh and tosses the device on the side table. Not much to offer.

Law soon reappears in the living room, his work attire exchanged for jeans and a blue sweater.  He pauses and glances at the open kitchen, brows furrowed in concern. “It’s awfully quiet,” he observes, his questioning gaze falling on Zoro.  “Is the house empty?”

“Yeah,” Zoro confirms as he leans back in the chair, stretching his legs and crossing his ankles.  “Three of ‘em went out for food.”

“I see,” Law says as he moves into the kitchen.  Zoro listens to the sounds of water running before his partner asks him, “Tea?”

“Sure.”

Kettle settled on the stove, Law returns to the living room and sits on the edge of the couch.  “Surprised you didn’t go out with them,” he comments thoughtfully as he crosses his long legs. 

“Figured I’d wait for you,” Zoro answers honestly with a shrug.  Luffy had wanted him to go out pretty badly but he didn’t want Law to come home to an empty house.  Last night he’d come home from the bar to the man sitting in the dark watching documentaries alone. Although he knows his partner enjoys his solitude, a part of Zoro feels maybe he hasn’t been home enough.  Finger tracing the leather seams of the chair, he implores, “Gettin’ used to work?”

“It’s not very busy.  There’s not much to get used to,” Law responds coolly as he swings his foot.  “I like it though. Being the only pharmacist has its perks. It’s quiet.”

They sit in amiable silence until the kettle begins to whistle.  As Law gets up to attend to their tea, Zoro stills him with a hand and ambles to the kitchen himself.  Green tea for him, Earl Grey for his partner, he quickly fixes their drinks and delivers a steaming mug to Law.  Easing down on the couch, Zoro takes a tentative drink and frowns when the steam fogs up his glasses. Not used to dealing with such a nuisance, he takes them off and sets them on the coffee table.  He twists his head to look at Law, smiling softly as he studies the man take a small sip, long fingers wrapped around the hot mug. “You hungry?” he asks as he lifts a hand to his stomach, scratching under his shirt.  “Luffy’s bringing back chinese.”

Law nods, settling back further on the couch and shifting his body to better face Zoro.  “Chinese sounds good,” he acknowledges as he takes another sip of tea. “Could go for --”

“White rice and vegetable chow mein,” Zoro finishes for him.  “He’s got the order.”

“Thanks.”  Law’s smile is genuine, his normally cold eyes flashing warmth for a brief moment.  He glances around the room again and remarks casually, “It’s nice when its empty. I’m relieved we’re moving at the end of the week.”

“So’m I,” Zoro agrees as he takes a large swallow of his tea.  They’d found a place over the weekend that looked good and was a fair price.  After some thought, they agreed this morning to go ahead and fill out the paperwork to rent it.  Zoro handled all of that today -- was surprised when the landlord told him they could be in by Friday.  It’s happening quicker than he expected but it’s a welcome change. Usopp, Brook, and Luffy are good company but he knows Law would be much happier on their own.  Zoro’s used to bunkmates -- hundreds of them, in fact. Navy life isn’t quiet or private. But Law’s lived alone for a long time. It was only until Zoro started crashing with him after the discharge that he had to adjust to life with a shared living space.

Zoro sets down his mug and scoots closer to Law, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and leaning in to mutter against his ear, “Can’t wait for more privacy.”

A smirk crossing his features, Law leans forward and places his cup on the coffee table before twisting back to Zoro, tracing his jawline with a hum.  “We have privacy right now.”

“We do.”  

Zoro closes the space between them and steals Law’s lips in a leisurely kiss.  Their tongues gently brush as their mouths part, Zoro becoming more forceful in his movements when cool fingers tug at his earrings.  Lust taking over, their hands explore each other desperately, Law quickly pinned against the arm of the couch. Nipping at his partner’s bottom lip, Zoro earns himself a small gasp, urging him to grind their hips together.  Just as a leg hooks around his waist, enticing him for more, he hears a loud yell from the otherside of the door and finds himself shoved away mere seconds before Luffy crashes into the house.

“It’s eatin’ time!”

Peering over the back of the couch, Zoro catches Luffy’s eye and gives him a sharp glare.  The man stops his celebrating and glances between him and Law. “What?”

Usopp appears behind Luffy and looks at them as well, eyes narrowing at their disheveled appearances.  “Come on guys, I sit on that couch.”

“Nothing happened,” Law quickly asserts as he straightens his sweater and spins back around, crossing his legs and arms. 

“Oh! You guys were gonna bone!” Luffy laughs maniacally, kicking off his sandals and joining them in the living room.  Usopp trails behind and dumps two plastic bags of take out containers on the coffee table. He looks at the empty seat on the couch and grimaces, instead choosing to kneel on the ground.  

“Usopp, please don’t let Luffy eat my curry fried rice,” Brook calls over from behind them as he closes the front door.

“Whoa! What are these?” Luffy grabs Zoro’s glasses from the table and puts them on his face, looking exceptionally stupid in the large wire frames.  “Look Usopp! I’m a nerd!”

“Put those down,” Zoro growls as he reaches forward and snatches the glasses from Luffy’s face. 

“Maybe you’ll drive like a normal person now,” Usopp states with a smirk, earning a snicker from Law.  He begins dishing out everyone’s meals, swatting Luffy’s hand away anytime he reaches for something that isn’t his.  Finding the eager man’s container of beef lo mein, he pacifies him by shoving it into his hands. “Fine, fine! Here’s yours,” he grouses as its snatched from him.  Order restored now that Luffy’s distracted, he divvies out the rest. “Here Brook, kept it safe.”

Accepting the container and plastic fork with thanks, the older man settles into the recliner and begins eating with a ferocity that rivals Luffy.  “I feel like I’m a pile of bones, I’m so hungry!” he jokes through a mouthful as he catches Zoro and Law gawking at him.

Zoro shakes his head, digging into his own meal as Usopp grabs the remote off the table and turns on the TV.  Looking over the group for a consensus, he asks, “What should we watch?”

“Futurama,” Luffy suggests immediately, spitting out a half-chewed noodle onto the floor as he talks.  He shrugs and stabs it with his fork, swallowing it down again.

“He’s like a child,” Law mutters under his breath.

“We’ve watched every episode of Futurama  _ three _ times,” Usopp continues as he loads up Netflix.  Eyes turned on the screen, Zoro snorts with amusement as the profiles appear and he notices Sanji’s name paired with a chicken icon.  Usopp glances over his shoulder with a questioning look and Zoro nods to the screen. Connecting the dots, the man laughs and explains, “Yeah I changed his icon to that.  It was the closest thing I could find to a duck.” He gives Zoro a cheeky grin. “Sanji hates it.”

“Good work,” Zoro praises him as he reaches over and pats the man on the shoulder.

After some arguing between Luffy and Usopp, they settle on a sitcom Zoro’s never seen before and they all immerse themselves in their dinners and the show.  He finishes his own meal silently, sitting shoulder to shoulder with his boyfriend until both of their containers are clean. Zoro stands to discard his empty mug and trash, Law following him silently to the kitchen.

His partner glances at the digital clock on the stove as he rinses his mug and asks, “Are you going out tonight?”

“Nah,” Zoro responds as he reaches around to add his dishes to the sink.  “Gonna stay in.”

Law pauses his movements for a brief moment and glances at Zoro out of the corner of his eye.  “I see.”

Zoro looks back to the living room, the three others completely engrossed in their show.  “C’mon,” he says with a cocky grin, wrapping a strong arm around Law’s waist. He looks his partner over carnally, the earlier bulge in his pants rapidly appearing again.  Law seems to notice too, raising an eyebrow as a sly grin appears on his face. “Let’s go finish what we started.”

 

* * *

 

It’s nine in the evening when Sanji returns from the back after a quick smoke break, his bar still empty. He’s not surprised, it’s a Wednesday night. The last of his regulars left minutes before his break. Turning down the music to enjoy the place to himself, Sanji begins picking up a couple dirty glasses from the counter, getting ready to close. He sets them in the glasswasher and begins polishing clean ones, his back to the entrance. 

He ponders whether or not a certain someone will show his face in here tonight when the door swings open roughly, causing him to turn around and smirk at the interesting timing of the man’s arrival. When Zoro walks closer and takes a seat, Sanji bursts out laughing at the sight before him. Setting the glass in his hand down, he steps in front of Zoro -- who’s settling down with an aggravated expression -- to get a better look at the glasses framed around his eyes. 

Laughter dying down, he asks hoarsely, “What’s with the new look, four-eyes?” 

“Fuck you,” Zoro grouses as he tugs off his glasses and hooks them on the collar of his t-shirt.  “Need ‘em to see.” Pointing to the scar running down his eye, he reminds scornfully, “Half blind, asshole.”

“Ever hear of contacts? You need ‘em,” Sanji taunts back. “You don’t suit those things. At all. Keep them off.”

“Can’t do contacts,” Zoro explains as he rests his forearms on the bar and leans forward.  “Good thing I ain’t trying to impress you. Now be useful and get me a whiskey.”

Scowling, Sanji obliges, setting the drink down with a lingering grip around the glass as he gives the glasses hanging off Zoro’s collar another examination. They’re tugging down his shirt, showing off tanned skin and hints of what he knows to be an impressive chest. Swallowing thickly, Sanji removes his hand from the glass, reaching out to the pair of glasses and jostling them along Zoro’s collar. He jokes with a smirk, “On second thought, they do suit you. These are old man glasses.”

Zoro grabs Sanji’s hand in a bruising grip, squeezing tightly, “Quit fucking with ‘em or I’ll break your fingers.”  He releases his hold and picks up his drink. “Shit was expensive as hell.”

That strong grip and threat pleasantly raises the hair on Sanji’s skin. Released from it, Sanji moves away to grab a stemless wine glass, pouring himself a drink as he tries not to think too hard on how electrified he feels. “Sorry,” he apologizes disingenuously, sarcasm coating his tone as he takes a generous gulp of his wine before continuing. “I forgot you’re a loser without an income.”

“Gonna have to quit tipping my bartender,” Zoro quips with a playful smirk.  Although he still has plenty of money left in his savings, he does need to get a job soon.  Would rather keep that cash for a rainy day than blow through it all. He pours back the rest of his glass, quickly emptying it and motioning for another.

“Even when I give you special after-hours privileges? Damn, that’s cold,” Sanji replies, leaning on the counter with a shoulder raised. “Well you can at least do some work for me if you’re just going to be a cheapass.” Eyes darting to the front door, Sanji demands, “Lock it up.” 

Zoro stands without gripe, moving across the short distance to go through the routine.  While his back is turned to Sanji, he smirks, content with having the empty space all to himself.  Returning to the bar, Zoro forgoes taking a seat, instead stalking behind the counter and looking over the various bottles of liquors.  “Gonna take this one,” he says greedly as he grabs a bottle of Jack Daniels from the shelf. “Shitty bartender leaves my glass empty too much.”

“Maybe I’m just trying to pace your alcoholic ass,” Sanji growls, eyeing Zoro intensely as the man grips the bottle. “If you don’t stop helping yourself back here I might have to start getting the cops involved, you thief.”

“Your weak pours are the crime here,” Zoro snubs as he ambles to where Sanji’s standing and blocking his glass.  He leans in close and reaches around the man, his chest brushing Sanji’s shoulder. “Watch, shitty bartender,” he commands as he pours a healthy triple into the glass.  Slamming the bottle down on the counter next to his drink, he steps back and smirks at Sanji’s irritated glower. “That’s a good pour.”

Heat rising to his cheeks, Sanji takes a step back out of Zoro’s space, glancing at his eyes to gauge his intent. Zoro has always been a smug arrogant bastard. Touchy too, with all his friends. Tactile sort of person. That’s probably all this is, he reasons. He keeps overthinking things. Maintaining normalcy, Sanji nods with a jovial smirk. “That is a good pour. How about I charge you double for it?” His expression darkens, tone lowering. “Surcharge for being a dick to your bartender.” 

“Gonna start getting drunk at home,” Zoro mutters as he moves out from behind the bar and plops onto his stool.  Satisfied with his full glass, he takes a longer swallow and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. He looks back up and catches Sanji’s eye.  “But then I couldn’t torture you, duckhead.”

Sanji narrows his eyes, tilting his head as he brushes some strands behind his ear, examining Zoro closely. Voice smooth, he responds, “And you  _ do _ like to torture me. I’m telling you, you are some shitty company.”

“You’re just shitty,” Zoro retorts, tapping his thumb on the counter of the bar.  He feels his phone buzz in his pocket and halts his motion, reaching to tug out the device.  Brows furrowing, he hopes it’s not a repeat of Monday night. The screen lights up and he grins, reading Luffy’s name.  Some bullshit about a show he’s watching with Usopp. Shaking his head, he tucks the phone away and takes another drink.

Taking note of Zoro’s brief distraction from their banter, Sanji questions, “Law, right? What’s he up to?”

“Luffy,” Zoro corrects as he studies Sanji for a beat.  He figures it’s just out of politeness but the man is always so interested in where Law might be.  Then again, he guesses that’s probably normal since they live together and all. “In bed reading when I left.”

Reflecting on his run-in with Law yesterday in the cafe, Sanji feels a pang of guilt strike him. Hoping to alleviate the troubling sensation, he pries further, “Doesn’t he care that you’re not home with him?” 

Zoro shifts in his seat uncomfortably, wrapping both his hands around his glass of whiskey as an uneasiness settles on his shoulders.  It’s something that’s passed his mind before but Law is blunt -- he’d make it known if this was troubling him. “Nah,” Zoro replies after a brief pause.  The inquisitive look in Sanji’s blue gaze remains so he continues with a shrug, “He’s fine. I was out to sea a lot in Norfolk. This is more normal than me being home all the time.”

“I see. He does seem pretty chill,” Sanji says quietly, only partially relieved by the answer. It’s an uncomfortable feeling that’s beginning to brew here. Like he’s constantly walking on eggshells, or making waves without intending to. He doesn’t want to cause any unnecessary tensions that may ultimately accumulate and ruin what Zoro has. His friend may not be aware of it, but Law’s comment yesterday had not been entirely innocent and it continues to worry him. He takes a long sip from his wine, not having anything else to say. 

“Got a place yesterday,” Zoro tells Sanji nonchalantly, changing the subject.  “A house up a few streets from your area. Desert Rose Ave. Movin’ Friday.”

“What? A homeless man in a home? Come on now,” Sanji jokes, smirking and raising his brows as he gives Zoro an amused look while sipping from his glass. Swallowing, he goes on, “In my area. As if I need more of you in my life. Desert Rose, huh? Not bad.”

“Law liked it.”  Zoro shrugs and empties his glass, reaching for the bottle and pouring himself another round.  “I just nod my head and carry heavy shit.”

Sanji eyes Zoro sharply as he helps himself to the bottle once again. “Okay,” he says with a laugh, gesturing to the bottle of whiskey. “That one wasn’t fair. You downed like half your glass and went right for it. Now you’re just assuming I won’t do it.”

“Lucky I even use a glass,” Zoro threatens teasingly, gripping his hand around the neck of the bottle and sliding it over.

Sanji shrugs, shaking his head. “Why do I even care if you’re not going to tip me.” 

“Such a whiny bitch.”  Zoro rolls his eyes and tugs out his wallet, quickly finding a twenty and crumpling it up.  He aims at Sanji’s eyebrow, tossing the wad and letting the cash thunk him in the forehead. “There’s your tip.”

Sanji clenches his teeth, letting the crumbled bill fall to the floor. “Oh, you’re on.” He jabs a finger down on the print button of his register, his glare never leaving Zoro as he lets an excessive amount of paper spill out before tearing it off and balling it up aggressively. He steps back, faking a couple throws with it before firing it at Zoro’s face. “Fucker!” 

Zoro shoves back from the bar, stool scraping against the floor as he stands.  Storming around the back of the counter, he spots his crumpled twenty still lying on the floor.  “Lost out on your tip, fuckface,” he announces with a sly grin as he reaches to pick up the cash.

Hastily, Sanji bends down to swipe the money just as Zoro’s fingers close around it. He clutches onto Zoro’s wrist, trying to pry his hand open as a spark of competitiveness courses through him. Just like old times. “Give it here, you classless moron. You can’t take back a bartender’s tip!” 

Standing firmly, hand clenched around the bill, Zoro smirks at Sanji’s aggravated insults.  He raises his arm high above them, shaking his head as Sanji puts his hands on his hips and gives him a stern scowl.  “Too slow, blondie.”

His glower doesn’t lighten until Sanji focuses on the glasses dangling from Zoro’s chest. Acting fast, he plucks them off Zoro’s shirt and clutches them behind his back as he swiftly moves out of the man’s space. When Zoro charges after him with a dangerous glint in his eyes, Sanji smirks and hops over onto the other side of the bar, his heart thumping in exhilaration. Landing on the other side and taking a seat at the bar, he crosses his legs and twirls around in the chair.  He puts on the glasses and halts his spin with an elbow on the bartop. Tapping the side of the frame, Sanji taunts, “Think these might be worth more than twenty bucks. You did say they were expensive.” 

Zoro freezes in his step, pulse quickening at the sight of Sanji in his glasses with a provoking gleam in his eyes.  Pace slower, he moves in front of Sanji at the bar and leans over the counter into the man’s grinning face. He slams his fist on the bartop, flattening the crinkled twenty and sliding it towards his friend.  When Sanji’s eyes flicker down to the cash, Zoro snatches his shirt front in a tight grip and pulls him in. They stare into each other for a weighty second, Zoro finding himself briefly captivated by the look he’s receiving.  Quickly becoming aware of their position, he furrows his brows into a scowl again and snarls, “Give ‘em back.”

The smirk on Sanji’s face is long gone, replaced by a precarious expression. Nodding silently, Sanji leans away, prompting Zoro to release his shirt and give him his personal space back. He takes the glasses off, offering them to Zoro while trying to quell his heartbeat thundering in his chest. “Here. They give me a headache anyway,” he says lamely, fleeting his eyes away. Things had gotten pretty charged there. Like old times and yet starkly different. He doesn’t know what to think of that new feeling anymore. And he’s pretty sure Zoro isn’t even giving it any thought as the man hooks the glasses back over his shirt without a word.

Going back to the topic at hand before they’d derailed, Sanji says, “So you’re moving in Friday. That’s quick. Need any help?” 

Silently moving out from behind the counter and back to his seat at the bar, Zoro shifts on his stool to face Sanji, who’s now seated one chair from his.  He takes a long drink of whiskey, hoping the heat in his skin and the thumping in his chest will return to normal. Unsure of what just happened between them, Zoro chalks it up to their typical bullshit.  Always were rough housing in school, should’ve expected it to continue. Looking his friend over, Zoro nods and accepts the offer. “Actually I do. Law, Luff, and Sopp all work Friday and I’m plannin’ on getting furniture before then.”

Standing on the lower rungs of his stool and leaning over Zoro to grab his glass of wine, Sanji explains, “Well, you can have me Friday morning and early afternoon. But obviously I’m working on a Friday night.”

“Should be done by two,” Zoro says gruffly, giving his friend a thankful grin.  “Can pay you or whatever.”

Sanji simply shrugs. “Don’t worry about it,” he says, and before Zoro protests he jokes, “It’s not like I’m looking forward to you throwing crumpled wads of cash at me.” 

“Damn.  Was plannin’ to get it all in pennies.”

“You really do want me dead, don’t you?” Sanji says, laughing. “Well, no worries, I’ll be out of your hair soon enough.” He takes a calm sip of wine. “Applied to some programs in New York today.” 

Zoro raises his eyebrows at this piece of information, twisting on his stool to completely face Sanji and resting his feet on the bottom rung.  “That so?” he questions with a tilt of his head, crossing his arms. “The city?”

“Yeah.”

Zoro scratches at the top of his chest idly, fingers hitting his glasses by accident.  Still not used to them being there. “Shit’s expensive.”

“Yeah, I’m aware believe me,” Sanji says with a sigh as he places his palm under his chin, watching the small television in the corner while sports hosts talk and gesture on an after-game show, their voices muted completely. “Can’t find a room for rent under a thousand bucks. Let alone a one bedroom apartment.” 

“People are shit out there,” Zoro grouses as he finishes off his glass.  He chuckles, giving Sanji a teasing grin. “Even Law’s nice compared to those fucks.”

Sanji tilts his head over to Zoro in interest, chin still in his hand as he hunches in his seat over the bar, foot bouncing. “I’m sure you’d blend in no problem,” he jests, skirting whatever odd warning it is Zoro’s trying to give him. “You’re an arrogant prick just like them.”

Ignoring Sanji’s comment, Zoro taps his fingers on his thigh and implores quietly, “What kinda program?”

“Cuisine,” Sanji answers. “High caliber stuff. New York’s the place to be for learning the works on food. I’ve spent too much of my twenties not bettering myself. Time to get out there and do it, you know?” 

Zoro takes in Sanji’s explanation silently.  Even back in their high school days, his friend was always interested in expanding his cooking skills.  Being able to go somewhere and study it sounds like a dream come true. He should be happy for Sanji and yet he can’t shake a sudden feeling of emptiness caving in his chest.  Though he’s travelled around the world and been away from this town for so long, it feels wrong to imagine home without the man sitting before him. Lifting his head and giving Sanji a half-grin, Zoro agrees, “Yeah, ‘bout time you grew a pair.”

Sanji clicks his tongue and gives Zoro a hard hit on the arm. “Fuck you. Arguably, I’ve got a bigger pair than you for staying in the same town as Luffy this long. You bailed on that pretty fast.” 

“That does take some balls,” Zoro admits with a chuckle.  “But mine are huge. Can’t even compare.”

“You’re so predictable,” Sanji mutters with a grin. “Always gotta compare dick sizes and get into pissing contests. Haven’t changed a fucking bit.” A beat. “Well, other than the fact that you’re a four-eyed nerd now.”

Zoro shakes his head and puts his glasses on, glaring at Sanji with pride.  “Better than being a stupid french duck.”

Sanji sways into Zoro’s space, brushing their shoulders together as he elbows him mirthfully. He releases a bored sigh, inciting as he reaches over and refills Zoro’s glass, “Come on now. I have new material. Where’s yours?” 

Pausing and raising an eyebrow, Zoro ponders Sanji’s question seriously.  It’s a fair assessment -- he’s been slacking on his insult game. Feeling challenged, he begins rattling off a number of nicknames, “Shitty bartender. Spider catcher. Lightweight.  Idiot barkeep. Pussy pourer.” He pauses and grins, remembering a conversation of theirs from few nights before. “Twink.”

Balking at the last insult, Sanji glares irritatedly at Zoro. “Twink? Fuck off. I am not a goddamn twink.” 

Settling into the conversation with interest, Zoro pours himself another glass of whiskey and takes a swig.  “But you knew what it was,” he accuses with a shiteating grin.

“Of course I know --” Sanji cuts himself off with a hefty sigh, focusing on the liquor bottles lined up ahead of him. He grumbles, “Nevermind. I guess this whole thing  _ is _ new material for you.” 

“Completely new,” Zoro agrees thoughtfully, rubbing the back of his neck.  High school in a small town as one of the only gay kids was a strange experience for him.  Feels weird knowing now that one of his best friends was in the same boat all along. There’s Luffy but he’s always been off doing his own thing -- it didn’t really count.  Thoughts falling back to what Usopp had told him in the coffee shop last week, he recalls Sanji has some experience. A relationship even. Curiosity getting to the best of him and buzz urging him forward, Zoro bluntly asks, “Heard you were with a guy for awhile or something?”

Turning his gaze from the liquor bottles down to his near-empty glass of wine, Sanji curls his fingers around it, mind deep in reflection. “Years ago. That ended pretty much as soon as it got serious between us.” He wonders if he should tell Zoro who it is they’re talking about, but decides against it. His friend doesn’t seem to be aware and he won’t say unless asked. Fingers drumming along the glass, Sanji is sure to force a small smile on his face as he reveals, “He met someone else. Fell hard for him. That was that.” 

“Simple enough,” Zoro says as he swirls the amber liquid in his glass and tosses it back.  Sliding the glass away from him as a signal that he’s done for the night, he glances back at his friend and gives him a resolute nod.  “Shit happens. World’s big.”

“World  _ is _ big,” Sanji agrees with the sound advice. “That’s why I gotta leave. Been here too long. Been single too long.” He looks to Zoro with a smirk he knows must look pathetic. “Getting kind of depressing.” 

Zoro studies Sanji seriously, the earlier empty ache returning to his chest.  He knows it must be pretty big if his friend is admitting all this to him. Unsure what else to do, he reaches forward and clasps Sanji’s shoulder, giving it a tight squeeze.  “Never know what’s next.”

Glancing down at the hand on his shoulder, Sanji feels its heat blazing through his shirt, warming his skin pleasantly. His eyes tentatively lift to peer into Zoro’s dark irises, seeing a hint of something in there for him. Compassion maybe. Or something more. He’s not sure. He doesn’t want to hyperfocus on it. He can’t. Realistically, he shouldn’t have even run his mouth on his issues. Turning away as his friend releases his shoulder, he downs the last of his wine, slaps the counter lightly and stands, having caught onto Zoro’s signal earlier that he’s done for the night. 

“I’ll grab your tab, drunkard.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone -- 
> 
> We're sorry it has been so long since we updated! Summer is a busy time for us both with work and life. We've both been incredibly ZoSan inspired lately and hope that means that we will be making more progress soon. We also want to apologize if we did not reply to one of your prior comments -- again, we suck when we're busy!! Thank you for taking the time to give us thoughts/feedback and hope you continue to enjoy.


	5. Chapter 5

Zoro waves at the white Jeep as it pulls up into Brook’s driveway, pulse racing and sweat already dripping down his bare chest.  He’s been at it most of the morning, the desert sun beating down on him as he works Spent the last hour loading up their suitcases and small pieces of furniture into the bed of the truck.  Got the trailer of stuff from Virginia hooked to the hitch, too. Now they need to dump it off and come back for the big stuff. That’s what he really needs another set of hands for.

“Mornin’,” he calls out as the vehicle door opens, patting the pockets of his gym shorts to make sure he’s got his wallet and keys.  As soon as Sanji’s ready, he wants to get this rolling. Would rather have it done before heat of the late afternoon.

Closing the door to his Jeep slowly, Sanji lets his eyes linger on Zoro’s bare chest. Chewing the inside of his lip, he instantly regrets agreeing to this. It’s going to be a long afternoon. He walks over to the sprawl of furniture pieces and boxes on the driveway, many of them new. They must have gone to the place he recommended to Law days ago. “See you’re already at it,” he says, putting his hands into the pockets of his shorts.

Zoro moves to the back of the truck and double checks the trailer hitch as he explains, “We take this -- unload.  Come back, load the rest. Then unload.” He glances up at Sanji, grinning and patting the side of the truck. “Then you’re free.”

Stroking the stubble on his chin, Sanji nods as he looks around at Zoro’s things. Anywhere but the half-naked man himself. “Simple enough. Sure you’re not going to drive all your shit off a cliff?”

“Fuck off,” Zoro grumbles as he motions for Sanji to get in the truck.  He climbs in on the driver’s side, grabbing his glasses off the dashboard and putting them on.  When the passenger door opens, he continues, “Gonna drop off my shit and drive you off a cliff.”

Sanji gives him a puzzled expression, spotting his shirt laying over the truck’s back and swiping it as he makes his way to the passenger’s side. After hoisting himself in and shutting the door, he looks over to Zoro, shirtless and wearing his granny glasses at the wheel. Tossing the white t-shirt at Zoro carelessly, Sanji taunts, “Hey grandma. You’re about to drive in public shirtless again. Better keep that Alzheimer’s in check.”

Zoro bats the shirt away, letting it land on the seat between them.  “Don’t care,” he retorts as he starts up the engine and backs the trailer down the driveway.  As he shifts to turn on the main road, he gives Sanji a smirk. “Neighborhood’s gotta get used to seein’ it.  Might as well start today.”

Sanji puts his hand to his forehead, rolling down his window with his other hand and sticking his elbow outside. “With the old man glasses, you don’t look as hot shirtless as you think you do. Dumbass.”

Raising an eyebrow, Zoro glances over the top of his frames at his friend.  Stopped at a red light, he flexes his arm and pats his bicep. “This is for strength.  Something you wouldn’t know about, twinkle toes.”

“I will kick you in the teeth. How’s that for strength,” Sanji threatens, lifting his foot to the dash and kicking it lightly for emphasis before resting it there.

Distracted by Sanji’s display of flexibility, Zoro misses the light having turned green until he hears a horn blaring at him from behind.  He glares in the rearview mirror at the offending SUV and continues on the short journey to the new place. It only takes about ten minutes for them to pull into the driveway of the small bungalow.  Turning off the engine, he rips the glasses from his face and dumps them back on the dash. He opens the door and hops out, making his way up the short walkway to unlock the front door with the keys he got from the landlord this morning.

“You still drive like you’re blind. Thought those glasses were supposed to help with that,” Sanji jokes as he follows Zoro up the walkway, taking in the modest home in front of them. It’s fitting that Zoro and Law would choose a bungalow to move in to. It appears to be a well-kempt little place. Bland and yet functional in its simplicity.

“Bathroom’s that way.”  Zoro nods towards a small hallway in the back of the house.  “Think you shit yourself back there.”

“Or you can use it to take a shower. Reek of B.O.,” Sanji retorts, waving a hand in front of his nose as he trails behind Zoro in the home. He looks around. It’s modest, clean, newly renovated with a decent layout. A nice little home overall.

“Man-stink **,** ” Zoro says proudly as he tosses his keys onto the kitchen counter and heads back outside to unhitch the trailer.  He calls over his shoulder to Sanji, “Should be able to get this shit quick.”

Back behind the truck, he smoothly unhooks the lock and silver clasp from the trailer hitch with practiced ease.  Moving so much in the Navy has him used to traveling with these things. Grunting, he hoists the weight of the trailer and maneuvers it out from behind the truck, dragging it to the other side of the driveway to be unloaded later.  Lowering the bed of the truck, he begins tugging out boxes and stacking them, Sanji joining him at his side.

When he sees that Zoro’s got unloading the truck covered, Sanji works on bringing the boxes inside one by one, putting them in the living room for now. Once all of the boxes and other easily carried items are within the home, they focus on the heavier objects within the trailer. Sanji wipes his brow, attempting to straighten out the strands sticking to his forehead. The afternoon sun is already beating down strong. He watches in a daze, eyes glued to Zoro’s glistening back as he unlocks the trailer and hoists the door open.

Looking inside, Sanji whistles. “Maybe I really will charge you for this.”

Zoro studies the contents with his a hand on his hip, wiping the sweat from his brow with the other.  Couple of recliners, a table, chairs, and boxes of books. Those’ll be the worst. He looks back at Sanji and runs a hand through his damp hair, “Still got a couch and mattress at Brook’s.  Which you wanna do first?”

“Might as well move this in now,” Sanji answers, stepping up to the trailer. “Unless you need a break already, grandma?”

Zoro smirks and shakes his head, moving in front of the open trailer door.  Grabbing one of the recliners -- a large leather one -- he drags it to the edge and turns around.  He reaches his arms back around the top of the chair and hauls it onto his back, giving Sanji a cocky grin as he easily balances the heavy item and meanders into the house.

Sanji gawks at his friend as he walks off with the robust recliner on his back like it’s no big deal. It’s not one of the lightweight models. He fumes, stepping inside the trailer and going for two dining chairs, carrying one in each hand as he follows Zoro indoors.

They go back and forth until the trailer is empty and the living space is full. They’re back to Brook’s in no time, loading up with the rest of Zoro and Law’s things, which mostly consist of the mattress and couch mentioned earlier. The couch will give them the most trouble through the doorway of the new home, they can already tell.

Back at the new place, they’re in the middle of lifting the mattress when Sanji comments, “This isn’t a bad mattress.”

“Brand new,” Zoro says as he pats the soft pillowtop.  “Never broken in.”

Sanji rolls his eyes at him, doing his best to ignore the disgraceful emotion Zoro’s joke invokes. Giving the mattress a nod, he remarks, “This poor thing is going to get its innocence ruined.”

Zoro snorts as he walks backwards into the house, leading Sanji to the bedroom.  “Can’t wait to nap on it.”

“See?” Sanji says in a strained tone as they bend down to place it against the empty wall. He straightens and taps on the mattress’ side, rustling the protective plastic covering. “You’re going to stain it with drool.”

Zoro simply shakes his head and steps out of the room to the living space, locating a backpack on the ground and pulling out two water bottles.  He tosses one to Sanji as he reappears from the hallway and twists off the cap of his own to take a large gulp. A small dribble makes its way onto his chest and he wipes it away carelessly.  “Alright, just the couch.”

Sighing after taking several large swallows, Sanji wipes his mouth and feels his phone begin to buzz like there’s a war raging in his pocket. Pulling it out, he enlivens the screen and pulls up his notifications. All from Facebook Messenger. He opens the app and navigates into his friends’ group chat.

 

 **Luffy Macaco:** Yooo! PARTY tonight at Ace’s! Everyone has to come since it’s for my birthday!!

 **Nami Katt:** Short notice much??

 **Usopp King:** I’m so in.  I get off work at 5.

 **Luffy Macaco:** Don’t be mean Nami! You’re coming too!!

 **Nami Katt:** Fine, you dingus. I’ll dupe one of the girls to let me have first cut. Be off at 9!

 **Luffy Macaco:** YESS!! Sanji? Chopper? Traffy? Zoro?

 **Usopp King:** Zoro doesn’t have group chat, remember?

 **Sanji Canard:** I’ll ask him. Helping him move rn. I’ll be there late after work, 11-12ish.

 

Sanji looks up from his phone as Zoro crushes his empty water bottle. “Luffy says party tonight at Ace’s, early birthday thing. Think you’ll make it?”

“Yeah, sure,” Zoro confirms as he tosses the trash into the sink. “You goin’?”

“Like I have a choice,” Sanji jokes with a smirk. “That spazzoid would never let me live it down if I missed his birthday party.” He turns back to his phone, scrolling up as the messages keep coming and staring at Luffy’s first message with slight unease. Then he toggles back down to read the newer messages.

 

 **Tony Chopper:** Yes! Yes! Yes! BYOB or???

 **Luffy Macaco:** Nope! Ace said he has it all covered! We’re getting smashed!!

 **Usopp King:** Pre-drink? I got enough green to get us there but not taking any to the party.

 **Luffy Macaco:** Sweet! Pre-drink at Brook’s!! Hey Sanji!! Still there??

 **Sanji Canard:** He said yeah.

 **Luffy Macaco:** Awesome! I never doubted him!!

 **Nami Katt:** Tell him I’m making him a Facebook tonight. He needs to learn how to communicate with us like a normal person!

 **Sanji Canard:** Sure thing Nams.

 

“Nami says she’s making you a Facebook account tonight,” Sanji comments idly as he types. “So you can blend in with society better as an alien lifeform.”

“Tell her to fuck off.”

“No way in hell. I’ll beat your ass for that.”

 

 **Luffy Macaco:** Zoro needs Facebook so I can tag him in memes.

 **Usopp King:** Hey Brook has his music buddies coming over tonight so I don’t know if we can pregame there.

 **Luffy Macaco:** Pre-drink at Zoro’s!

 

“They want to pre-drink here at your new place,” Sanji says, smirking in amusement.

“That works,” Zoro agrees with a shrug, leaning against the wall.  “Tell ‘em to bring their own shit though.”

 

 **Sanji Canard:** Zoro says that’s fine but bring your own shit.

 **Usopp King:** Yess! Will do!

 **Luffy Macaco:** Yay!!

 **Nami Katt:** Got it. Get to see the new place too. ;)

 **Tony Chopper:** Yes!! I’ll pick up Usopp and Luffy.

 **Nami Katt:** Me too, Chops. I don’t wanna drive.

 **Tony Chopper:** Okay!

 **Law Trafalgar:** Didn’t realize I wasn’t a part of this decisioning.  That’s my house you’re inviting yourselves to.

 

Sanji grimaces and scratches his head. “Think Law’s mad.”

Zoro shoves himself off the wall and moves behind Sanji, reading over his shoulder.  “Nah, that’s just Law.”

Shaking his head, Sanji’s brows lift. “Doesn’t sound like he wants a bunch of drunk morons tearing up his new house. Don’t blame him. Especially when Luffy’s involved.”

 

 **Luffy Macaco:** Traffy! You don’t mind right?

 **Law Trafalgar:** No, but you still need to ask me.

 **Luffy Macaco:** So you’re coming??

 **Law Trafalgar:** I’ll see how I feel.

 **Luffy Macaco** : So you’re coming, right?!

 **Law Trafalgar:** I’ll see how I feel.

 **Luffy Macaco:** Yay! Traffy’s coming!

 **Law Trafalgar:** That isn’t what I typed.

 **Usopp King:** It is in Luffy language. Anything but “no” means yes.  And usually “no” means yes anyway.

 **Nami Katt:** Get used to it.

 **Tony Chopper:** Hi Law! Can you or Zoro please text me your address so I can drive us all to your place around 9?

 **Law Trafalgar:** Yes.  

 **Tony Chopper:** Cool!

 **Luffy Macaco:** Awesome!! It’s gonna be the best party ever.

 **Law Trafalgar:** Since Zoro hasn’t answered his phone I’m reduced to asking Sanji how the move is going. Is anything broken?

 

Sanji turns back to Zoro, who’s still close behind his shoulder, sending a frustrated expression his way. “Answer your damn phone, idiot.” He then focuses on his cell phone and types away a response.

Motioning to the piles of boxes, suitcases, and backpacks, Zoro scowls and mutters, “Don’t know where it is.”

 

 **Sanji Canard:** Move’s going well. Nothing broken. Just have to get the couch in and we’ll be done. Zoro’s looking for his phone now. He’ll get back to you.

 **Law Trafalgar:** K.

 **Luffy Macaco:** I’m jumping on that wicked awesome mattress as soon as I get there.

 **Usopp King** : Shut up Luffy.  You’re gonna get us kicked out before we even get there.

 **Nami Katt** : Bored of you losers.  See you tonight, Chopper! Text when you’re on your way.

 **Tony Chopper:** Ok! Going back to work now before my manager kills me (ha ha).

 

“Are you done?” Zoro asks in a bored tone, watching Sanji continue to stare at his screen.  “Need to finish up.”

Messages dying down, Sanji puts away his phone and takes another sip from the water bottle before resolving to finish their work by getting the couch moved in. “Yup. Let’s get this damn thing over with so I can have a smoke.”

Leading the way back outside, Zoro positions himself at the foot of the truck and commands, “Climb into the back and I’ll guide it out.”

Sanji hoists himself inside easily, shuffling around to the opposite side of the couch and bending down to grab ahold of the bottom corners of it. “Good to go?” he asks, fingers clutching the dark leather material.

“Yeah.” Zoro heaves the other end of the hefty couch and begins slowly backing it off the truck, brow furrowing as it gets heavier with every movement.  Balancing a bulk of it in his grip, he asks sternly, “Can you get down with it or do I gotta hold it?”

“Don’t underestimate me. I’m good to go down,” Sanji responds sharply, before realizing his mistake. “With it. The couch,” he corrects hastily, face flushing in embarrassment when he catches the amused glimmer in Zoro’s eyes. Ignoring the palpable tension now in the air, he crouches and sends a searching foot to the asphalt of the driveway. Finding his footing while partially holding the weight of the couch, he slowly maneuvers himself off of the trailer, re-adjusting his hold at the base of the heavy piece of furniture with a small huff. Blowing a stray strand out of his face, he peers over the armrest of the couch to see Zoro’s scrutinizing eyes on him so he gestures to the door, indicating for them to move on.

Slowly walking backwards, Zoro guides them back up the walkway to the front door.  He stalls at the entrance and glances at the sides, tentatively taking a step in and frowning when the couch is too wide to pass the threshold.  “Shit,” he curses as he takes the step back out, studying the frame. “Won’t go in.” He glances back at Sanji, recalling the man’s comment from moments ago.  “The couch,” he repeats dryly with a smirk. “Since you’re a perv.”

“Burn in hell,” Sanji huffs, brushing off the joke at his expense, exasperated as he re-adjusts his hold on the couch again. “Fuck. Let’s put it down and get a look.”

Setting down his end of the couch with a small thud, Zoro turns around and sits on the arm.  He runs hand through his sweat soaked hair and scrutinizes the doorway. “On it’s side?” he questions, glancing back at Sanji for confirmation.

“Should fit on its side, yeah. Let’s take off the cushions,” Sanji replies, eyes dancing between the couch and the doorframe for comparison. They make short work of the cushions, stacking them inside where they won’t get in the way. Then they’re back at their spots, hoisting up the couch and maneuvering it how they planned. After several failed attempts to get it through, Sanji’s forehead is slick with sweat, his muscles are straining and his frustration is climbing. “Shit. You have to angle it the other way! To the left. It’s catching on the frame.”

“I’m anglin’ it,” Zoro snarls back irritably, shifting the couch in the other direction as it bumps the doorway again.  “Carryin’ all the weight, shithead. Quit shoving at me.”

“Well, if you’d just angle it better, I could push it in!”

“Said left so I angled left.”

“Well, _more_ left then. It’s still catching.”

Zoro shifts the couch again and it slides smoothly through the doorway.  If he wasn’t so tired of moving, he’d be annoyed that the blond idiot had been right.  They’re able to carry it into the living room with the ease, dropping it against a wall on the opposite side.  Once the couch is settled in its position, they stand to catch their breaths. He turns to make a jab at Sanji but finds himself instead staring at the man’s flushed appearance -- the pink hues of his cheeks, his sweaty blond strands completely disheveled, mouth slightly parted as he pants.  Zoro swallows hard, unable to remember what he was going to say or tear his gaze away.

Wetting his dry lips, Sanji uses the back of his wrist to wipe his brow before running a hand through his hair, trying to tame it. His breathing finally evening out, he puts one hand on his hip and tears his eyes from the couch suddenly to look at Zoro, finding a hazey, intense gaze lingering on him. He lets those eyes fill him with exhilaration and allows them to maintain the rapid heartbeat in his chest before Zoro abruptly looks away. He then turns his stare back to the couch, frowning. Unable to justify that little moment as he usually is able to, Sanji ignores it, tucking it away into the depths of his mind. He laughs lightly and makes a casual comment, “Hope we didn’t scratch up the door.”

Zoro quickly crosses the room and scopes out the door frame.  “Nah,” he asserts as he closes the door, finally finished with the hauling.  “Looks fine.” He plops down into the leather recliner, aching muscles burning from the workout of moving.  Glancing up at Sanji, he nods. “Can take you back to Brook’s whenever. Know you gotta work.”

Sanji picks up his abandoned water bottle from earlier, still half full. He guzzles it down before responding, “Yeah. It’s almost two.” He chuckles lightly. “Might need to fit a nap into my day now.”

Nodding in agreement, Zoro stands and retrieves his keys from the kitchen counter.  “Nap, shower, organize this shit before Law gets home. That’s my plan.”

“Nevermind your boyfriend. Better organize this before Luffy gets here drunk and high. That’s just asking for chaos,” Sanji says, smirking at the predictable image of Luffy stumbling over boxes and fragile items. “Remember when he broke your dad’s Spanish vase.”

Zoro pauses at the door, grinning at the thought.  “Pops almost killed him.” After they step outside, he locks the door behind him, another memory coming to mind.  “Remember when he caved part of your roof in?”

Sanji laughs, features brightening at the memory. “He was my dad’s slave for all of high school to pay him back for that,” he reflects, digging through his pockets for a cigarette before lighting up and stepping into Zoro’s truck, shutting the door.

Settled behind the wheel, Zoro goes through the motions of putting on his glasses and starting up the engine.  As they begin the short trip back to Brook’s house, a not so pleasant memory strikes him at a particular corner when they’re stopped at a light.  Glancing down at the deep scar across his chest, he asks Sanji quietly, “Remember what happened here?”

Turning to his friend at the uncharacteristic tone in his voice, Sanji’s eyes linger with Zoro’s at his friend’s chest before he takes note of the area they’re in. Leaning back in his seat and putting his foot on the dash, Sanji takes several drags from his cigarette as he stares outside distantly, mind in a faraway place from years ago. He remembers engraving the tire skid marks on that very corner in his mind, followed by endless hospital visits. He’d put his cooking habits at the time to good use then. “Dumb question. How could I forget.” There’s a small pause as they drive on before Sanji asks. “Does your scar still hurt? I remember it did sometimes, even years after it healed.”

“Sometimes,” Zoro admits as he turns onto the road that’ll lead to Brook’s home.  They remain silent the rest of the way, Sanji’s white Jeep still waiting for them in the driveway.  Truck parked, he picks up the forgotten t-shirt from earlier and tugs it over his head, covering up any further reflection on that part of the past.  Glancing to his friend still seated in the passenger seat, he gives Sanji a grateful nod. “See ya later.”

“Don’t let them get too crazy without me,” Sanji says blithely as he opens the door and climbs out. Shutting it behind him, his hand taps the frame of the truck’s open window as he sends enthusiastic eyes Zoro’s way. “See you tonight.”

 

* * *

 

“Do we have a bottle opener?”

Zoro glances up to Law’s questioning gaze from where he’s seated on the living room couch.  “Dunno,” he answers, standing and wandering into the kitchen where his partner is holding a bottle of beer.  He takes it from Law’s hand and angles the cap on the edge of the counter, using a palm to hit the neck and bust it free.  With a smirk, he passes the opened brew back. “Don’t need one.”

Law shakes his head and takes a gulp, a playful grin on his face.  “Of course you don’t.”

They make their way into the living room, Zoro returning to his seat on the couch and Law choosing the leather recliner for himself.  Swigging from his own beer, Zoro scopes out the clock on the wall. A little after nine. Everyone should be showing up soon. Eyes sweeping over the living room, he’s satisfied with the state he managed to get their possessions in.  Boxes are still stacked and waiting to be unpacked but they’re lined up neatly out of the way. The furniture is organized the way Law likes it. Anything Luffy could absolutely destroy is tucked away in the spare bedroom for the time being.  That was Law’s first order of business when he came home from work.

“So moving wasn’t too bad?” Law asks casually as he takes another pull from his beer.

Zoro mirrors the action, finishing his drink off and setting the empty bottle on the side table between them.  “Could’ve done it by myself.”

“But you didn’t.”  Law’s words are more of a comment than a question, his dull gaze never once leaving Zoro’s eyes.

Remaining quiet for a beat, Zoro searches his boyfriend’s stare for any hidden meaning or intent.  Finding nothing off, he simply shrugs. “Faster.”

“Got a lot accomplished in little time,” Law agrees with a nod, running a hand through his messy black hair.  The movement makes the top of his shirt fall open slightly, the first few buttons undone, revealing a peek at the swirling black tattoos littering his upper body.

Zoro lets his gaze linger there briefly before he stands and heads back into the kitchen for another beer.  As soon as he’s got the cap off and tossed into the trash, he hears a noise on the other side of the door signaling their friends have finally arrived.  A perplexed expression crosses his features as he also hears the distinct sound of Luffy singing from outside.

“I’m walking on sunshine!”

The door suddenly bursts open, Luffy sliding into the space as he continues singing obnoxiously, “ _Who-oa!_  I’m walking on sunshine!   _Who-oa!_  And don’t it feel _good!”_

The man glances between Law seated in the recliner and Zoro standing in the kitchen, hands on his hips looking proud of himself as the rest of the crew files in behind.

“Oh my _god_ , someone kill me please.”

“He hasn’t stopped singing the entire way here.”

“My ears hurt!”

“Whoa, your house is cool!” Luffy exclaims with a toothy grin, adjusting the red ball cap on his head.  His eyes light up immediately as he rushes deeper in the house, shouting back behind him, “Yo! Where’s the bedroom?  Gonna jump on that mattress!”

Law stands up immediately, sharp glare on his face as he follows behind Luffy’s cackling.  “I don’t think so.”

“Hey, man,” Usopp greets Zoro casually as he enters the kitchen, a bottle of vodka in one hand and a two-liter of fruit punch in the other.  “You got shot glasses or cups?”

Zoro points to the cupboard behind his friend’s head.  “Shot glasses there, solo cups for now.”

“Where’s your phone?” Nami demands, hand on a hip as she searches around the living room.  She spots where he left it on the bar and gleefully snatches the device, sticking out her tongue at Zoro’s annoyed face.  “You need Facebook like yesterday.”

“Stupid,” Zoro mutters under his breath as she takes a seat on the couch, typing away enthusiastically.

“This is a really nice neighborhood,” Chopper comments as he sits in one of the recliners, looking around the open room pleasantly.  “And I really like the place! It’s super simple.”

“We’re still unpacking,” Law says as he reappears from the hallway, Luffy in tow.  

The younger man’s round eyes brighten as he spots Usopp in the kitchen pouring out shots, jubilantly raising a fist to the air and shouting, “Hell yeah! Let’s get this party started!”

“Who needs a chaser?” Usopp calls over his shoulder to the group.  He receives confirmation from everyone but Law and Zoro.

“Wait,” Chopper pipes in from the recliner, excited grin falling to a concerned look.  “We need to decide now -- who’s gonna drive?”

They all look around at one another.  Zoro knows Luffy is out of the picture.  He’d be willing to do it if he has to but he’d rather let someone else volunteer first.  His dark gaze falls on the one person he knows is likely to offer and isn’t surprised to find him already nodding with acceptance.

“I don’t mind,” Law quickly tells them, putting his hands in his pockets and shrugging.

“Nope! No way! You’re getting drunk!” Luffy immediately rejects Law’s decision as he crosses his arms, staying firm in his stance.  Before Law can counteract, he points at a finger at the man and orders, “My birthday! My rules. You gotta get wasted with me.” He aims his finger in Zoro’s direction.  “You too, Zoro!”

“Don’t gotta tell me twice,” Zoro retorts with a smirk as he takes a long gulp from his beer.  

That leaves Nami, Usopp, and Chopper all staring at each other with concern.  Awkward silence hangs between them until Nami proposes a deal, “For twenty bucks, I’ll do it.”  She gives them a sly grin. “Each.”

Chopper and Usopp both groan as they reach for their wallets and dig out the cash.  Satisfied with herself, Nami tucks the bills into her bra and returns to Zoro’s phone.

“I need a shot after that,” Usopp mumbles bitterly and begins doling out the shot glasses he has lined up.  

The group of them gather in the kitchen, standing in a circle with their shots raised.  Zoro connects his gaze with Law from across the formation, skin buzzing and blood pumping with adrenaline at what’s definitely going to be a good night.  His partner returns his grin with a short nod, a similar excitement flashing in his eyes.

“To awesome friends!” Luffy announces loudly as he wraps his free arm around Chopper’s shoulders, solo cup of fruit punch dangling from his grip.  They all clink their glasses together, downing their shots and eagerly cheering for the upcoming party.

The circle breaks into idle chatter, Chopper and Usopp interested in seeing more of the house.  Law gladly leads them to the back, Luffy following behind and hollering something about jumping on the bed again.  Zoro watches them leave with an amused grin and returns to his beer.

“Okay, I’m almost done,” Nami says merrily, obviously proud of her handiwork.  “Just need to find the right picture of you. Am I gonna find dick pics if I go through your phone?”

“Nah,” he teases her with a smirk as he dumps his empty beer bottle into the trash.  “They’re on Law’s phone.”

“Gross,” she returns as she wrinkles her nose, thumb quickly scrolling through what he knows is a short library of pictures.  A soft smile forms on her lips as she holds the phone up in triumph. “I like this one.”

Zoro crosses the room as he takes a swig from his fresh brew, squinting until he can see what picture she’s found.  It’s one of him proudly standing on his last ship in the Navy, dressed in his uniform with his arms crossed and a grin on his face.  A buddy had taken it for him after his dad had bitched about never seeing him. He’d sent it to the crotchety old man as evidence he was still alive and busy working.

“Fine with me,” he tells Nami with a nod and she quickly finishes her task of setting up his page.  He takes a seat next to her and leans over her shoulder to see what she’s doing. He honestly doesn’t intend to ever use the damn thing, but knowing Nami he needs to make sure she didn’t put some stupid shit up about him.  Wouldn’t put it past her.

“Who are these friend requests from?” she asks puzzled, tilting the phone to show him.  “They requested you as soon as I finished setting things up.”

Shaking his head as he reads the names on the screen, Zoro reaches forward and taps the accept button for them both.  “Johnny and Yosaku. Navy buddies.”

“They look stupid,” Nami comments with a huff as she looks over everything to make sure it’s right.  “Okay, I got you on Facebook and I downloaded the messenger app.” She balances his phone on her bare knee and tugs her own out of her pocket.  “Now just let me add you to our group chat and you can actually talk to us!”

Zoro picks up his phone and watches as a notification pops up alerting him to being added to a group message called The Crew.

 

 **Nami Katt** : Zoro’s on Facebook and in the group chat now!

 

A loud laugh sounds from the back bedroom and Zoro feels his phone buzz again.

 

 **Luffy Macaco:** Hell yeah!!

 

The small group returns from the back of the house, Usopp turning to Zoro and giving him a thumbs up.  “Awesome place! I dig the patio off your bedroom. That’s neat.”

They all fall into light chatting, talking about the upcoming party, the new house, their days.  Luffy fixes another couple rounds of shots to grease the wheels. Within the hour, they’re all piling into Chopper’s old Buick, Nami and Zoro in the front seat and the other four crammed in the back.

“I’m walking on sun--”

Nami cuts off Luffy’s obnoxious singing by turning up the radio to maximum volume, some pop song drowning him out.  Zoro grimaces the whole ride, unsure which noise he would have preferred. Ace’s place seems to be a little bit outside of town, just past where his own father resides.  Nestled deep in rocky hillsides, it’s an expansive home -- not what he’d imagined his old childhood friend living in. The gravel driveway is littered with dozens of cars, several of Ace’s friends already positioned in the backyard they can see from where they park, the party well underway.

“C’mon! C’mon!” Luffy bounces excitedly in his middle seat as he leans over Law to fling open the door.  “Let’s go!”

Zoro closes his door shut and follows behind the group, Law slowing to walk at his pace, bumping his arm with an elbow.  “If I go missing for more than ten minutes, please come find me,” he deadpans with a shake of his head, stare focused on Luffy rambunctiously jumping on Usopp’s back and ordering him to rush into the house.

“Get drunk quick,” Zoro retorts with a grin, offering the best advice he can muster.  As far back as he can remember, Luffy’s been completely uncontrollable and unpredictable at parties.  It’s best to just go with the flow.

As they walk inside, Zoro pauses and takes a moment to look over the house.  The interior of Ace’s home is as impressive as the exterior. The layout reminds Zoro a bit of Brook’s but it’s bigger and two-story.  The recognizable cracks of pool can be heard from downstairs as music plays from a stereo in the living room. A familiar, freckled face notices them from the kitchen and its owner bounds over, punching Luffy lightly on the shoulder.

“Guest of honor’s finally here!”

Luffy hangs his arm across Ace’s shoulders, beaming proudly as he laughs.  “Hey, Ace! There’s so many people here!” His head spins in all directions, scoping around every visible space of the house.  “It looks awesome!”

“Coolers of beer and bottles of liquor on the deck,” Ace directs them all with a tilt of his head, Luffy’s arm still wrapped around his neck.  His warm gaze falls on Zoro, brown eyes brightening and grin widening with elation. “Zoro, my man!” He tugs out of his brother’s hold and pulls Zoro into a tight hug, patting him on the back.  “Been so long! Sorry I hadn’t seen ya ‘til now.”

“S’all good,” Zoro responds with a grin.  He spots Law hovering at the edge of their circle and is quick to make introductions.  “Ace -- this is Law.”

“Ah, a pleasure!” Ace says jovially with a quick handshake.

“I call him Traffy!”

Law delivers Luffy a glare, silently shaking his head in disagreement.

“Well whatever, hope you guys enjoy the party,” Ace says with a laugh.  Chopper and Usopp are already skirting out to the deck to grab themselves drinks.  Zoro wishes he could follow behind but finds himself stuck in conversation with Ace.  

“You need to meet my boyfriend Marco,” his old friend tells him, crossing his arms and smiling brightly.  “He’s somewhere around here. I’ll let him know to be on the lookout for you. God, you really haven’t changed.”

They talk briefly -- catching up on the things they’d missed over the last several years.  The rest of their group disappears, Nami waving at a friend in the corner and Luffy dragging Law off to grab drinks.  By the time Ace’s distracted by another group of people arriving, Zoro’s lost sight of everyone he recognizes. He pushes through the small clusters of people in the living room, opening the door to the back balcony and finding the table of booze set up.  

There’s an array of bottles for the choosing of various types and potencies.  Going with a tried and true favorite, Zoro pours himself a full solo cup of Jim Beam.  Luffy’s orders were to get drunk and he fully intends to fulfill the obligation. He moves to the railing to look over the small backyard, smirking to himself as he spots Luffy downstairs dragging Law to a group of people and wildly talking to them.  His partner has a cup of liquor in his hand and he takes a long drink as Luffy points at him with excitement. Shaking his head, Zoro decides he should probably make do on Law’s earlier request and go save him. But before he’s even two steps away, a vibration from his pocket stalls him.  He tugs out his phone and sees a new notification from the group chat.

 

 **Sanji Canard:** Closed up. On my way. Are we sure this moron should be in the chat? Don’t think he knows how to keep in contact with people let alone type.

 **Zoro Roronoa** : Don’t bother coming. Saw a sign that said no ducks allowed.

 **Sanji Canard:** Should call the FBI to investigate the green alien in Ace’s house. If anyone’s abducted or probed it’s his fault.

 **Zoro Roronoa** : FBI’s already here. Wanna research the world’s biggest idiot. Told them you’re on the way.

 **Sanji Canard:** I am on my way. To kick your ass. Driving. See you all soon.

 

Zoro shakes his head and tucks his phone back into his pocket, an enjoyable heat burning his skin.  Can’t wait to insult that dumb bastard to his face. He glances out over the balcony edge again, scanning the yard and no longer finding Luffy or Law.  Shrugging it off, he takes a large swallow of whiskey from his cup and leans his forearms on the railing, enjoying the quiet moment to himself as he stares at the bright stars shining in the night sky.

Putting his Jeep in park, Sanji twists the keys and turns off the engine, staring at the house with a flutter of uncertainty in his stomach. Never did see Ace’s new place, even after all these years. It’s as nice as he expected. His feet are sore, body aching from a busier than usual Friday night at the bar. At least he’d made some good money, enough to justify swiping a bottle of tequila as a party favor and some gin for himself. He’s eager to get another drink in him, a stronger one than the beer he’d slammed back before making his way over. Grabbing the bottles of liquor and a six pack of canned tonic water, Sanji steps down from the Jeep and looks up to the stars to soothe his nerves, their glistening clear as ever.

Sanji pulls from his cigarette, burning through the remainder of its life and bending down to snuff it out in the dirt. Then he sticks the cigarette butt in the back pocket of his jeans to be discarded later. Music pounds from the house, reminding him of its liveliness. He quickly forces his energy level to merge with it, taking his gaze off from the sky and focusing on the door ahead. Slipping through the door quietly, he nods to a small group of unfamiliar men hovering in the foyer as he takes off his shoes. Walking further inside, Sanji takes in Ace’s home, his eyes immediately become lost in all the Navajo decor all along the walls, bringing a small smile to his face. Definitely Ace’s style.

Spotting two recognizable faces, Sanji’s expression brightens with both amusement and sympathy as he watches Luffy parading Law around with boundless excitement. Eyes connecting with Luffy’s as he makes his way over, his friend immediately beams and rushes over, dragging Law behind him.

“Happy birthday, ya dingus,” Sanji says with a cool smirk, rustling out the bottle of tequila from under his arm to hand to Luffy.

“Holy guacamole! Thanks, Sanji!” Luffy swiftly opens the bottle and thrusts it towards Law.  “Take a swig, Traffy!”

“No.”

Sanji offers Law a compassionate look. “You surviving over there?”

Law turns his sharp glare to Sanji and shakes his head vigorously.  “Not even close.”

“Traffy’s meeting all of Ace’s friends!” Luffy explains jovially, giving the taller man a strong pat on the back that causes him to flinch.  “And he promised he’d get nice and toasty!”

Sanji scratches his head, looking around at the throngs of men around the large living space he’s unacquainted with. “What’d Ace do? Hijack a busload of gays and reroute them to his place in the boonies?” He laughs softly, shaking his head. There are some women and he can’t say for sure how many of the men are actually gay, but the vibe of this party clearly has that agenda. He’s not surprised since Ace and Marco are the ones throwing it for Luffy and if there’s any one group of people who know how to party, it’s gay men.  “How’d he get these guys out of the city?”

“They came to see me!” Luffy proudly puffs out his chest and gives Sanji a resolute nod.  “Ace’s friends are so cool.” He catches sight of a blond man coming up the stairs and begins ecstatically waving.  “Oh, there’s Marco! C’mon Traffy, we _gotta_ talk to him.”

“Oh joy,” Law mutters sardonically as he’s violently tugged away, giving Sanji one last helpless look before they disappear into the crowd.

Ready to fix himself a drink, Sanji spots the kitchen easily in the open concept home. He makes his way over, shouldering past an unfamiliar man with a soft apology, sparing only a quick glance as the man’s eyes linger on him a long moment. He ignores it and stares forward, seeing Ace chatting with Zoro in the kitchen. They’re probably catching up on lost time. His lips press together as he approaches them, silently grateful Zoro is there to keep things comfortable and easy.

Zoro shifts awkwardly and takes another long drink from his cup of whiskey as he listens to Ace’s explanation of his job.  Something about wildfires and dry heat. Feeling trapped once again in a conversation he doesn’t care about, his allows his gaze to wander until it falls on something much more interesting.  Sanji’s casually approaching them, liquor bottle tucked under arm and an unreadable expression on his face. Lowering the cup from his mouth, he gives the man an acknowledging nod as a subtle smirk plays on his lips.  “‘Bout time. Get lost?”

Placing the tonic water and gin on the counter, Sanji gives him an irritated look, grumbling, “Isn’t that your specialty, dumbass?” Feeling Ace’s eyes on him, Sanji brings himself to look at him warmly. “Hey, Ace. Been a while. How’ve you been?”

“Man, Sanji,” Ace says with a bright smile. He pulls Sanji into a quick one-armed hug. “Been too long.”

“Nice place you got,” Sanji says with a helpless shrug and a small laugh. “Know you’ve had it a while but first time seeing it.”

Ace pats Sanji on the back. “It’s all good. Glad you’re seeing it now.” There’s a brief pause as Sanji turns to fix himself a drink. Ace grabs him a solo cup and fills it with ice from the fridge, placing it down on the counter. “Good ol’ G and T. That’ll always be your drink. Think it’s been around a year since I last saw you. Looking good, man.”

Sanji pours himself a large amount of gin in the cup before topping it with tonic water. “Thanks. You too.” He stares down at his drink, noting it’s missing a very important component. “Got any lime?”

“Oh yeah, there’s some sliced in the fridge. I’ll grab some for you. You still like a lot, right?”

“Yeah. Two or three slices, thanks.”

Picking up on the subtle undertones of the conversation between Sanji and Ace, Zoro’s ears perk when he hears it’s been a year since they saw one another.  Hard to do in a small town. Tucking that piece of information away for later scrutiny, he shifts his stare back to Sanji and raises an eyebrow at the slight tension in his friend’s shoulders.  Feeling the sudden urge to dispel it, he references their earlier taunting with a mocking grin, “FBI’s out back waiting for ya, blondie.”

“Think I saw some freaky lights in the sky on my way in, greenie. Your alien pals finally come to take you back?” Sanji retorts with a comfortable smirk, the tension in his body settling. Ace hands him the slices of lime, their fingers brushing together and causing him to tense up again. He squeezes the lime into his cup before dropping them in. Then he takes a nice long sip, resting the drink on the counter as he leans against it. He’s tempted to ask Ace where Marco’s at, but quickly decides against it.

Zoro’s smirk turns to a frown, quickly growing irritated with the alien remarks.  Dumbass has been at it their entire lives. “Probably came after you,” he jabs back, looking Sanji up and down.  “An idiot bartending duck.”

“You two haven’t changed,” Ace comments with a grin, crossing his arms and looking between his two friends.  “Always at each other’s throats about something.”

“Well you know how it is, Ace,” Sanji begins explaining with an open hand out. “Someone’s got to keep this arrogant prick in his place.”

Pointing a threatening finger at Sanji, Zoro snarls in response, “My ‘place’ is putting a boot in your ass, shithead.”

Ace laughs heartily at them as they continue to bicker, Law drifting up behind Zoro with an exasperated look on his face. Sanji takes a step back from Zoro when he notices him, twisting to pick up his drink and keeping his eyes firmly fixed on it.

“I think I lost him,” Law says quietly as he moves to stand on the other side of Zoro, eyes darting over the crowd of people.  His expression shifts to a grimace as the unmistakable sound of Luffy’s yell echoes over the loud music.

“ _Traffy!”_

Zoro watches in amusement as his partner visibly shudders at the sound, snatching the cup of whiskey from his hand and downing it in one gulp.  “See you’re taking my advice,” he quips with a laugh as the empty cup is shoved back at him. “He won’t be happy ‘til you’re plastered anyway.”

“I’m starting to think he won’t be happy ‘til I’m dead,” Law solemnly responds as Luffy appears before them.

“Hey guys! Aw, shit! How we doin’?” Luffy asks excitedly, diving headfirst into their conversation with two hands on Zoro and Law’s shoulders.

“Law’s outta liquor,” Zoro tells his friend with a smirk, nodding towards both their empty cups.  “Think you need to make him drink more.”

Waving the bottle of tequila in the air energetically, Luffy shouts near Law’s ear, causing the older man to cringe, “Traffy! My number one birthday party extravaganza rule, never let your drink go dry! You gotta get shitfaced!”

“I really hate you,” Law hisses in Zoro’s direction as the tequila bottle is shoved in his face.  He accepts it with a sigh and tips it into his empty cup, swallowing the shot and immediately refilling again.

“Won’t be sayin’ that later,” Zoro quickly retorts with a suggestive grin, grabbing the bottle of tequila from Law’s hand and taking a long pull from it.  Law’s expression remains unamused as Luffy cheers him on to chug more. He hands the liquor back to Luffy and wipes his mouth, enjoying the burn of tequila mixing in his stomach with the whiskey.  Crossing his arms, he nods back towards the group of people in the living room, his gaze landing on a random man. “Meet him yet? Looks interesting.”

“That’s Jozu! C’mon, Traffy! You gotta meet him.”  Luffy enthusiastically grabs Law by the arm and begins dragging him towards the party, the man’s piercing scowl never leaving Zoro’s face as he’s hauled away.

Ace shakes his head. “My little brother,” he says with a sigh. “Sorry he’s taken to torturing your boyfriend, Zoro.”

Sanji eyes don’t leave the duo as they stumble off. “I feel like they could be a sitcom.”

“Tonight’s entertainment,” Zoro agrees as he looks down to his empty cup.  “Bastard deserves it for drinking my whiskey.”

“I don’t know. The punishment doesn’t fit the crime,” Sanji disagrees, his stare finally tearing away from them as he pans across several groups of people in the living room, eyes unexpectedly connecting with the smouldering gaze of a man. Tall and muscular with slicked back light brown hair, a thick well-trimmed goatee and a crescent scar encapsulating his left eye. The same man who’d looked at him earlier. He almost rolls his eyes when he sees the man walking over with intent, already knowing where this will likely lead. Sanji pulls a cigarette from his pocket, tucking it behind his ear and readying his escape route.

“Hey Ace. Good party. Worth driving out from Phoenix for,” the man says with a casual grin.

“Good to hear, man!” Ace responds with a smile and a nod. Gesturing to his friend with the beer in his hand, Ace offers, “Come over to grab a drink? Got beer in the fridge.”

“Yeah,” the man agrees, waving an empty bottle between two fingers. “I’m ready for another.” As Ace moves to the fridge, the man looks Sanji up and down with a pleased grin. He sticks out his hand, politely introducing himself, “I’m Thatch.”

Sanji clasps his hand around Thatch’s, shaking briefly. “Sanji.”

Thatch tilts his head to Ace while accepting the beer with a nod. “How do you know this one?”

Sanji responds, “Grew up here, we’ve been friends a long time. You?”

“Met him in college. Had some good times in the city,” Thatch explains. “Would’ve visited sooner if I knew he was hiding a guy like you in this sleeper town.”

Pressing his lips together, Sanji smiles uncomfortably, fingers ghosting across the surface of the cigarette tucked behind his ear. Skirting the obvious flirtation entirely, he replies, “Yeah, well, can’t say this town is on anybody’s radar.”

Growing tired of the increasingly awkward conversation and the lack of booze, Zoro’s restless as he listens to Thatch’s attempts to hit on his friend.  There’s another feeling deep within him threatening to bubble up and he forces himself to quell it. It’s none of his business who’s hitting on Sanji. Better to separate from the situation and go get another drink.  Maybe save Law. He shifts to move away from the small group and go back to the balcony when he’s caught by a movement out of the corner of his eye. Sanji’s fingers are at the cigarette tucked behind his ear -- a cue he remembers from their teenage years that his friend is wanting to get out of a situation.  Pausing and interrupting Thatch mid-sentence, Zoro turns to acknowledge Sanji, “Need a smoke? Goin’ out back.”

Sanji nods, finally pulling the cigarette from his ear and placing it between his lips. “Yeah, about that time.” He only spares Ace and Thatch an apologetic look for impolitely cutting their conversation short before following Zoro out towards the balcony, digging out his lighter along the way. Once outside, he immediately places his drink down and cups a hand over the end of his cigarette, lighting up. He mumbles to Zoro with an appreciative smirk, “Thanks.” He laughs lightly, taking a puff. “That was awful.”

“Was a fuckin’ moron,” Zoro grumbles as he crosses to the table of liquor and fills his cup with Jim Beam again.  He’s not nearly drunk enough to put up with the bullshit he’s been forced to deal with so far this evening to he chugs it back and fills it again.  Noticing the opposite corner of the balcony is empty, he nods at Sanji to follow him. A subtle smile tugs at the corners of his mouth as the man obliges.  Happy with the quieter area, Zoro leans against the railing and taunts playfully, “Surprised you made it. Thought today’s heavy lifting might’ve done you in.”

Exhaling smoke in a clean stream, Sanji smirks, tapping the embers off of his cigarette into the breeze. “Helped that you stayed away from the bar tonight. You’re a total pain to serve.”

Zoro shakes his head as he takes a swallow of whiskey, smirking over the rim of his cup.  “Just gotta keep my drink full. Even a shitty bartender like you should know that.”

“It’s not your drinking that exhausts me, it’s your shitty attitude that’s ruining my nights.”

“Fuck off,” Zoro retorts with a scowl, reaching over and shoving Sanji away lightly.  “Gonna stop going to that place. Bad atmosphere.”

“Good!” Sanji pushes him back, adding an aggressive punch to his shoulder for good measure. “I’ll be happier for it!”

“Shaddup.” Zoro’s words slightly slur with his response, the tequila and whiskey finally kicking and giving him a good buzz.  He drains his solo cup empty and shifts to give Sanji a sly grin. “Would be boring without me. What’d ya do up there all these years?”

“At the bar?” Sanji asks, staring off the balcony into the dark broad landscape ahead, tiny lights in the distance of the town. He can tell it’s a beautiful view in the sunlight. Taking in a mouthful of his drink and swallowing, he shrugs, tapping his cigarette again. “Same old.”

“Did Ace entertain ya?” Zoro questions light-heartedly, giving his friend a knowing grin.  The tension between the two earlier was so palpable -- it confirmed in Zoro’s mind that their old friend was who Sanji had been involved with years ago.  

Sanji’s eyelids droop to the soft orange light at the tip of his cigarette, lost in his mind before answering Zoro’s question. He’d always been so observant, it really doesn’t surprise him his friend had figured it out from his brief interaction with Ace moments ago. He pulls from his cigarette, exhaling as he confirms dully, “That obvious, huh.”

“No shit,” Zoro responds with a snort, crossing his arms and staring out into the night sky.  “Forget a knife -- needed a sword to cut that tension.”

Sanji cringes and laughs, nodding in agreement. He sticks out his hand with a playful smile, as if bracing himself. “I’m here for Luffy. I keep telling myself that.”

Zoro remains silent for a moment, clearing the tipsy haze in his brain long enough to study his friend with understanding.  A playful smirk crosses his features and he tilts his head towards Sanji’s cup. “Booze helps everything. Just get drunk”

“Is that your solution to life?” Sanji asks, voice raising in pitch. He looks to Zoro humorously as he rustles around in his pocket for a new cigarette. “Alcoholic loser.”

“Hell yeah,” Zoro confirms with a deep rumbling laugh, shaking his empty cup and starting back towards the table of liquor.  He crosses the short space and rapidly fills his cup again, this time with Jack Daniels. As he twists to return to their corner, he spies Usopp and Chopper stepping onto the balcony from the house.  His gaze connects with the younger man, Chopper’s brown eyes lighting up when they spot each other.

“Zoro! There you are,” Chopper greets him warmly as he stumbles slightly, grabbing onto Usopp’s arm for support.  “I was looking for you earlier. Have you seen Luffy?”

“Not lately,” Zoro says casually as he takes a drink of his freshly poured liquor.

“No one’s seen him for like twenty minutes,” Usopp chimes in as he grabs himself a beer from one of the many coolers.  “Weird, right?”

“What ‘bout Law?”

“Can’t find him either,” Chopper admits with a puzzled expression, looking around the balcony and waving when he spies Sanji in the corner.  “Oh, hey, Sanji! You made it!”

“Hey, Chops,” Sanji greets cheerfully, smirking around his cigarette as he strides over and wraps an arm around his shoulder, giving him a squeeze. “Loaded yet?”

“Totally.” Chopper punctuates the statement with a vigorous nod of his head, a goofy grin drooped across his face.  

“Don’t know where Nami is either,” Usopp frowns, cracking open his beer and taking a swig.  “She didn’t answer my texts.”

Zoro leans back against the balcony railing, resting an elbow on the wood.  “Don’t worry ‘bout it,” he says with a shrug, taking another drink. “Big party.  They’re fine.”

Suddenly he feels his phone buzzing in his pocket, tugging it out and raising an eyebrow when he sees its a video call from Law.  Swiping to accept the chat, he’s surprised to see a grainy image of his boyfriend’s face way too closer to the camera. A fierce scowl is set deep on Law’s features as his normally smooth tone bites out with a subtle slur, “I’ve been abducted.”

“What!” Chopper screeches, rushing to Zoro’s side and peering to get a good look at the phone.  “Are you okay? Do we need to call the police?”

“I fucking knew it!” Sanji exclaims suddenly, pointing to Zoro accusingly. “Aliens! They’ve finally come for you, greenie!”

“Fuck you!” Zoro snarls in Sanji’s direction before he returns back his phone. “What’re you talkin’ about?”

Law sighs irritably, rolling his eyes as he shifts the camera.  “The loud one’s kidnapped me. Don’t know where I am.” They all hear the unmistakable sound of Luffy laughing in the background as Law grimaces.  “Think I’m in Hell.”

“Dumbass,” Zoro mutters affectionately with a shake of his head.  He watches with amusement as the phone is snatched from Law’s grip and suddenly Luffy’s beaming smile is on screen.

“Hey! Zoro! Bring everyone to the garage,” the man shouts way too loudly into the speaker.  “I got a game for us to play!” He pauses and looks up. “I texted Nami already. Bring Chopper, Sopp, and Sanji, kay?”

“Got it,” Zoro agrees with a smirk, ending the call and tucking his phone back into his pocket.  He looks to the trio of men staring at him and asks, “Heard that?”

Sanji puts a hand to his hip, cigarette smouldering between his fingers. “What’s that idiot got in store for us?”

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Usopp bemoans with a hand to his forehead.  Sighing and apparently accepting his fate, he grabs two bottles of liquor from the table and tucks them under arm.  “I’m not doing this sober.”

Nodding in agreement, Sanji downs the last of his drink before quickly slipping back inside to retrieve what he needs for more refills. He doesn’t see Ace, Marco or the man who had been flirting with him earlier, thankfully. By the time he’s back outside, he sees that Usopp and everyone are below the balcony, walking towards the front of the house. Zoro is unabashedly carrying the cooler with him, even though it’d been meant for other guests. Shaking his head, Sanji quickly catches up with them, smirking and prodding at Zoro. “You little thief.”

Zoro flashes Sanji a cocky grin, patting the cooler top proudly.  “He said it’s for guests.” He shrugs. “I’m a guest.”

“You’re no guest, ya mooch,” Sanji responds with a cheeky elbow to Zoro’s arm.

Shifting the cooler in his hold, Zoro replies with a light kick to Sanji’s shin.  They make it to the detached garage pretty quickly, Usopp tentatively sticking his head into the side door and being met with raucous laughter from Luffy.  Seems to be the right place. They all file in behind the man, Zoro setting the cooler down once they’re inside and taking in the space. Pretty normal garage except half of it is outfitted with a card table, chairs, and a refrigerator.  A quiet little hang out spot. He spots Law sitting in one of the chairs around the table, arms crossed and drink in hand.

Slamming his palm on the card table, Luffy declares, “Alright guys! We’re playing strip poker!”

“Not in a million years,” Sanji protests dully, placing everything in his hands down on a small counter by the refrigerator.

“Can’t we just play regular poker?” Usopp asks, scratching his cheek.

“Don’t be wimps!” Luffy shouts. “I’ve seen all your dongs. It’s my birthday! You’re playing strip poker with us!”

It’s then that Nami walks into the garage, clearly hearing Luffy’s loud demands as she enters. “Oh god. I’ve walked into a trap.”

“Nami! Run!” Sanji cries desperately. “You don’t need to be here for this!”

“She’s playing too! It’ll be fun!” Luffy crosses his arms with a beaming grin and a nod.

“No way are we subjecting her to that, moron!” Sanji shoves Luffy’s head roughly. “This isn’t for her eyes!”

Luffy laughs merrily. “So you _are_ playing, huh Sanji?”

“ _Hell no!_ ”

“Stop worrying,” Nami says, giving Sanji a devilish grin as she rubs the tips of her fingers together. “You’re the ones who’ll end up butt naked and I’ll walk away from this with winnings.”

Zoro grabs a beer from the pilfered cooler and plops into the chair next to Law, nudging his boyfriend’s knee with his own.  “Bunch of pansies,” he berates from his seat, taking a long swallow from the can. “Scared of a set of tits and some dick.”

Law takes a drink from whatever’s in his solo cup.  Smells like tequila. “I was already forced to agree,” he says gloomily, placing the cup on the table and crossing his legs.  “He wouldn’t get off my back until I said yes.” He gives Zoro a penetrating glare. “Literally.”

“I’m not scared!” Chopper states with defiance, sliding into the chair across from Zoro.  “Let’s play!”

“I’m in,” Usopp says suddenly, pulling up a chair next to Chopper and wiggling his eyebrows at Nami.

Rolling her eyes, Nami seats herself next to Law, across from Usopp as in the background Luffy continues his attempts on convincing Sanji to play with them. “Alright,” she says, crossing her legs and tapping manicured fingers on the card table. “Let’s lay down some rules.”

“Alright, fine!” Sanji shouts from where he’s fixed himself another drink, throwing a hand up in the air and begrudgingly taking a seat at the table next to Nami. “But only ‘cause it’s your birthday, you little shit.”

“Yes, rules,” Law echoes Nami’s earlier request with a heavy sigh, reaching forward to pick up the deck of cards.  He begins shuffling them as he explains with sudden solemnity, “Five card draw. The winner chooses the stripper and the stripper chooses the clothing.  We have poker chips so normal betting to be paid after tonight’s party.” He glances around the table of shocked faces and asks dully, “Sound fair?”

“Think this is the most I’ve ever heard Law speak,” Chopper pipes in, his speech garbled with his drunkenness.

“Okay but if you lose and don’t have to strip, then you should take a shot!” Luffy butts in as he takes a seat on the remaining chair to Zoro’s right.  

“Fine,” Law agrees with a huff as he begins dealing out the first hand.

Zoro takes a swig of his beer, amused when Law has to stop a couple times to count the cards he’s passed out.  Seems his boyfriend is a little tipsy and off his game. He smirks. Means he won’t be as good at poker as normal.  As Law deals out the hands, Nami’s sure to pass around the poker chips, her eyes practically green with greed. Her smirk brightens to a beaming smile when she places a stack in front of Zoro, causing him to growl in response.  “Ain’t gettin’ shit from me.”

“Oh please,” Nami retorts with a flip of her hair, settling back in her chair and picking up her cards.  “Your wallet is the first one I’m emptying.”

Sanji takes a mouthful of his drink and crushes his cigarette butt into the ashtray in front of him on the table before leaning back to light up another. He murmurs through his hands with a playful smirk, “Nami will wipe the floor with you. You’re screwed, squid.”

“Better watch your own wallet, quack.”  Zoro rearranges his cards and raises an eyebrow at Sanji’s stupid face.  They all place their bets, going through the motions of the game before he adds, “Nami doesn’t scare me.”

“Oh? What’s that?” Nami asks, giving Zoro a menacing glare and clenching a fist. “I’m gonna take you for everything you’re worth now.”

“He’s not worth much,” Law deadpans with a snort, laying down his cards and sweeping a hand across them.  “Full house.”

Chopper, Usopp and Luffy whoop loudly in awe, leaning into the table obnoxiously to gawk at Law’s winning hand.

“Holy shit!” Luffy exclaims, nearly falling back in his chair in his excitement. He points energetically at Law. “Beginner’s luck!”

“This isn’t my first time playing poker.”

“New guy’s luck!” Luffy quickly edits his accusation

“Whatever.” Law rolls his eyes as everyone lays down their cards, unable to beat his hand.  Gaze shifting around the circle, he shakes his head and sighs, “The first choice is always so awkward.”  Reaching forward and scooping the small pile of chips into his space, he drolly orders, “Shirt off, red hat.”

Luffy cackles loudly and quickly scrambles to tug off his shirt, adjusting the red ball cap on his head once the item is removed.  His grin falters slightly when he sees everyone else preparing to take their losing shots as Sanji passes them out. “Hey!” he protests, glaring at Law.  “That means I don’t take a shot!”

“Precisely,” Law hums with an amused smirk.

Everyone but Luffy and Law take a shot, Chopper swallowing it harshly with a groan before putting his head in his hands.

Zoro looks up from his empty cup, studying the younger man across him, skin a few shades paler than normal.  “You okay, bud?”

Chopper remains still, apparently going through a bout of nausea, shifting only to put a hand to his mouth. He mumbles, “Think I need to sit this out, guys.”

Nami stands up, walking over to Chopper to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. “You guys keep playing. I’ll be back after I find him a bed.”

“Feel better, Chops!” Usopp calls to them as the duo quickly shuffle out of the garage, Chopper’s hand over his mouth the whole time.

Sanji gives Nami a grateful look as she glances back once more before disappearing out of sight. Releasing a plume of smoke and keeping the cigarette between his lips, he collects all the cards and shuffles the deck, redistributing them. After they all call their bets and draw, Luffy raises with a beaming grin. Sanji, Law and Zoro match while Usopp folds. When the hands are revealed, Usopp’s eyes nearly pop out of his skull at Luffy’s garbage set of cards.

“A pair of sixes?!” Usopp groans incredulously, smacking a palm to his forehead. “I folded for that?”

Luffy laughs maniacally. “I thought it’d be funny!”

“Round’s mine,” Sanji says, looking around the table to pick his victim. His eyes linger on Zoro, then to Law whose scrutinizing eyes put him in his place. Nodding at Usopp, he gestures to him with a cruel smirk. “Pants off, Sopp.”

“Oh come on!”  They all laugh at Usopp’s misfortune as he stands and tugs down his pants, giving Sanji a fierce glare.  He turns to acknowledge the rest of the circle, “Quit staring and take your shots!”

“Nice boxers,” Law quips as Zoro pours a shot into his cup.  “Zelda?”

Usopp looks down to the Triforce pattern on his boxers, cheeks flushing slightly.  “Well, you know, always was a fan…”

Zoro raises a questioning eyebrow at Sanji across the table, completely perplexed at the reference.  They all take their shots and Usopp hastily deals out their next hand, grumbling under his breath about evening the score.  Unfortunately for him, Luffy miraculously wins this time around.

“Stroke of luck,” Sanji grumbles, tossing back his shot in advance and wincing slightly as it goes down. He’s starting to feel a strong buzz now, the heat rising to his ears and cheeks. This is going to get dangerous.

“Zoro! Shirt!” Luffy commands, slapping Zoro on the arm with a taunting laugh.

Nodding at the order, Zoro is swift to oblige.  Shirt tossed off to the side, he stands to retrieve another couple beers the cooler, keeping one for himself and setting the other in front of Luffy.  “Your turn to deal,” he says to the man as he sits back down, cracking open the beer and taking a long swallow. “Need to get Usopp naked quick.”

“Oh shit, yeah!” Luffy agrees as he collects the cards and begins shuffling.

“I hate you both.”

A few more rounds are played, the five of them becoming increasingly drunker at the quick pace of their hands.  Usopp loses his shirt during Luffy’s deal, squawking indignantly about being cold as they all laugh at his demise.  Luffy gets revenge on Law, forcing him to remove his shirt much to Zoro’s amusement and his partner’s disdain. It’s when Sanji’s deals again that Zoro glances down at his cards and raises an eyebrow, his luck having turned for the better.  Always having a good poker face, no one suspects a thing when he simply matches Usopp’s raise and lays down a straight flush.

“Aw, shit,” Usopp slurs, hand already finding the neck of the vodka bottle to start doling out shots.  

Raking in the poker chips with a triumphant grin, Zoro’s eyes fall on Sanji’s still fully dressed form.  Everyone else around the table is shirtless except for him. Deciding it’s time to change that, he directs, “Your turn, blondie.  Shirt.”

Sanji glares daggers at the man, giving his bare chest a quick fleeting look before placing his cigarette in the ashtray and pulling his t-shirt off. He twists in his chair to hang the shirt over the back of his chair, dropping it on his first attempt amidst his drunken state. “Shit,” he curses with a small laugh, bending down to pick it up and retry. When everything’s in order and he raises his eyes to Zoro, he finds a pair of intense dark eyes on his form. He feels his body heat up under the smouldering gaze, leaning over the table to pick up his cigarette. With a hefty sigh, he slurs to Zoro, “You’re going down next round, asshole.”

Zoro gives Sanji one last glance over and returns his gaze to the cards Usopp’s dealt out.  “Don’t think so.”

Lucky for him, that threat doesn’t come to fruition this hand or the one after.  By the time it’s Zoro’s turn to deal again, Luffy and Law are now both stripped down to their underwear, one much more excited about it than the other.

“This is fun!” Luffy cheers enthusiastically, wrapping an arm around Zoro’s bare shoulders and giving him a pat on the back.

“Nami never came back!” Usopp comments with overly wild gestures.

“Oh, yeah! Dude, that was forever ago. I just noticed!” Luffy exclaims.

Sanji crosses his legs, re-adjusting himself in his chair. “I noticed. Didn’t say anything ‘cause she shouldn’t have been a part of this in the first place.” Catching Luffy immediately going for his phone, Sanji kicks him in the shin from under the table. “Don’t bug her or next time it’ll be your balls.”

Zoro deals out the hand swiftly and they go through the motions of betting, drawing, and laying down their cards.  Much to his chagrin, Sanji’s got the winning hand. He glances across the table and finds the man’s blue eyes already turned on him with a playful gleam.

Sanji exhales a lungful of smoke haughtily, taking his revenge from earlier. “Pants, dickbag.”

With a simple shrug, Zoro stands and unzips his pants without hesitation, dropping them to the ground.

“Whoa, dude! Where’s your underwear?!” Usopp shrieks, shielding his eyes dramatically as he points.

“Not wearing any,” Zoro responds as he stands proudly, Luffy knocking into his arm with raucous laughter.

“Why didn’t you warn us?!” Usopp demands through Luffy’s loud cackles, Law’s sigh barely audible under the noise.

“Wasn’t told I had to,” Zoro retorts with a grin, throwing back the rest of his brew.  Usopp groans and tosses an empty beer can at him, barely missing his junk. Zoro scowls, his words slightly slurring as he threatens, “Watch it or I’ma kick your ass.”

As the scene unfolds, Sanji finds himself unable to take his eyes from Zoro’s nakedness, feeling hot from more than just the alcohol coursing through his veins. Finally breaking himself out of his daze, he takes a casual drag from his smoke, eyes squinting at Zoro as he looks him up and down and releases a plume with a terse laugh. “Is it cold in here?”

“Nope, nope, we are not going there,” Usopp interrupts, raising a hand and settling the table of laughter.  “I don’t want you guys making fun of my dick so no dick jokes!”

“But that’s the fun of strip poker!” Luffy complains with a pout.

Zoro settles back in his seat, flashing Sanji a mean scowl.  He’s distracted from his glaring as Law places a hand on his arm and asks with amusement, “Why _aren’t_ you wearing underwear?”

“Couldn’t find ‘em.”

Law stares at him for a beat, expression blank.  “Black suitcase.”

Zoro looks at his partner, completely dumbfounded.  “Doesn’t mean shit to me. All the suitcases are black.”

“You always liked going commando back in the day!” Luffy pipes in, elbowing Zoro.

Sanji nods, joining Luffy in his light jabbing. “Think he said something about liking the breeze.”

Usopp moans once more. “No more!”

Much to their surprise, Law joins in on the heckling, deepening his voice to imitate Zoro, “‘Balls gotta swing in the wind sometimes.’”

Hands slap on the table with hysterical laughter, Usopp relenting and joining the fray. Luffy actually falls out of his seat, taking Usopp with him before they roll on the ground in a fit. Sanji has his forehead on the table, still slapping his hand down as Law looks on with a small smirk of pride.

“That was a _perfect_ Zoro impression!” Luffy wails through his laughter, sounding thoroughly impressed.

“Didn’t know you guys liked my balls so much,” Zoro says with a shake of his head as he watches their theatrics. After Usopp’s continued insistence, he slides his pants back on, leaving them unbuttoned and low on his hips.  He shifts his gaze to Law and raises an eyebrow, studying his partner’s drunk smirk. “‘cept you.”

“Your balls do nothing for me,” Law returns with a snort as he gathers the cards to shuffle another hand.  He pauses his motions and gives Zoro a side-eyed gaze, a suggestive look in his eye. “Other parts of you are nice though.”

“That so?” Zoro responds with a carnal grin, caught in Law’s flirtations.  His partner is always a bit more loose when he’s hammered. He looks Law’s sinewy body over with lust, the twists and curves of his tattoos as captivating as ever across his thin frame.  Happy to have covered his lower half, he shifts in his seat as he mutters, “Just wait ‘til we’re home.”

Watching the exchange out the corner of his eye, there’s a deflated feeling in Sanji’s chest. He knows there’s a lot of alcohol in him, but he’s not sure why he felt things would be different. He pours himself another shot, now determined to put himself over the edge he’s already been teetering on between the stages of very drunk and absolutely shitfaced.

The game dissolves from that moment on, Law and Zoro continuing to flirt as Luffy, Usopp and Sanji bounce off of each other rambunctiously. Despite their neglect of the game, Luffy decides he wants to be naked anyway and throws off his boxers, climbing on a chair to shamelessly let his manhood dangle, pounding on his chest like a gorilla when Nami walks in and halts in her spot.

“Oh my _god._ ”

She immediately turns around and walks out, Luffy dashing off to capture her. Sanji and Usopp run out to halt him as she screams at him to stop chasing her. Eventually Luffy gives up and ends up streaking around the house, much to the amusement of all the guests. Usopp and Nami disappear off somewhere together, while Sanji goes back to the garage to retrieve his shirt. He catches Zoro and Law making out furiously with each other, apologizing and hastily picking up his article of clothing. He walks into the house to find more liquor, seeing Ace and Marco chatting to each other with the most pleasant look in their eyes. It sends him spiralling.

Minutes later, Sanji finds himself stumbling up the stairs to settle in a chair on the balcony, shakily pulling a cigarette and struggling to light it, his dexterity totally lost to him from how wasted he is. Giving up completely, his eyes remain sturdily attached to the glimmering stars in the sky, unlit cigarette dangling from his lips. His eyes widen in surprise when the flick of someone else’s lighter comes into view, noticing it’s the man from earlier. Cigarette alive, he barely hears what he says, just sees how he’s looking at him and touching him now and succumbs to that lonely feeling before the conversation even starts.

Can’t even remember his damn name. But the guy shows interest and that’s all that matters. The next thing he knows, he’s in the passenger’s seat of the man’s car, his rented townhome’s address leaving Sanji’s lips with full intent.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the long wait. we appreciate your ongoing support and feedback!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry we haven't responded to comments. But we have appreciated every single one. You guys are the best and we don't deserve you. Have another chapter! Please enjoy.

 

 

A lone flicker of light sparks in a parked white Jeep, near-swallowed in the darkness of the Arizona desert. Sanji breathes in a heavy drag, sliding back his sunroof and reclining his chair as he kicks up his feet in the middle of the dashboard. Craning back against the headrest, he exhales a plume of smoke up at the sky, temporarily obscuring a magnificent view of the stars. Been staring at these brilliant night skies his entire life and he’s never grown sick of them yet. Not even after his harrowing experience under their expansive gaze as a child.

He smirks around his cigarette at the nostalgic howl of desolate winds and crickets singing through shriveled grass. The distant echo of coyotes yipping into the night makes his heart jump and the breath freeze in his lungs. Always does after all these years.

He’d finished his Sunday night shift hours ago. Hadn’t been busy as usual, everyone in town gearing up for their work week. Closed up at nine. Glancing at the digits on his dashboard clock, he sees it’s now bleeding into the earliest hours of Monday morning. He wonders where the time flies when he drives into the night like this.

It’s been a couple days since Luffy’s party at Ace’s place. He’s barely heard from his friends since and hasn’t seen them, not even Nami. His roommate had a busy weekend like he did, working in the service industry. But she hasn’t been sleeping at home, she’s been spending her nights at Brook’s to be with Usopp. It gives him all the more reason to stay out here until dawn if need be with his thoughts.

Crushing his spent cigarette into the ashtray inside the opened console beside him, Sanji fires up another smoke and continues his stargazing. His mind drifts as it always does lately to Zoro. He wonders what he got up to for the remainder of the weekend after the party. Probably enjoyed his time with Law settling into their new house, breaking in that mattress several times over.

Sanji frowns, drumming his fingers on his stomach restlessly before plucking the cigarette from his mouth and tapping the ashes into the tray. He shakes his head, smoke streaming from his nostrils. Shouldn’t be thinking petty bitter shit like that. It only makes him feel more sorry for himself. Pathetic.

His phone buzzes in his pocket. He shuffles to retrieve it, illuminating the darkness of his car slightly as he unlocks the screen to find a text from Thatch asking what he’s up to tonight. The guy’s still in town, crashing at Ace’s for the next week. Sanji deeply regrets giving him his number. What a stupid drunken mess he’d been the other night. But in the end, Sanji had been so wasted by the time they got to his townhome, nothing had really happened between them. Passed out before anything could. He’s relieved by that, would’ve regretted more than just giving the guy his number if things had gone differently. The embarrassment of waking up being held by the unfamiliar man in his bed had surely been enough.

He doesn’t blame him. The guy hadn’t gotten into his pants before Sanji passed out. He’s just looking to finish what he started, a shallow hook-up on vacation with no strings attached. No hard feelings on that. But Sanji is definitely not interested, so he deletes the text and Thatch as a contact before placing the phone down in the passenger’s seat.

A couple more hours of smoking, gazing and ruminating goes by before Sanji feels grimy and sore in his seat. He runs his fingers through his hair, deeming it about time to head home, take a shower and get some sleep. Firing up his engine, he drives off onto the dirt road and soon onto the main highway, speeding through the winding path back to Whiskey Peak.

When he pulls into his driveway at three-thirty in the morning, Nami’s Mini Cooper isn’t in sight. She isn’t home tonight. But to be sure she didn’t get a ride home after drinking too much, he goes inside and calls for her, checking her room and finding it empty as he expected. She did say she’d be spending her weekend with Usopp, but he figured she would be home tonight. He sends her a quick text to check in with her, surprised but relieved to get a response at this hour. She’s with him, safe and sound. She asks him why he was out so late, he comes up with an excuse like he always does and tells her to sleep well.

Sanji heads to the bathroom to take a quick shower before b-lining for his bedroom. In a strange haze, he locks the door to his room. He doesn’t bother putting on pajama bottoms, instead drying off with his towel and crawling into the sheets naked. Plugging his phone into his charger, it illuminates beside him and despite his utter exhaustion at this ungodly hour he perches himself up on his elbows and grabs it, scrolling through his Facebook app for any missed Sunday night shenanigans from his friends. There’s a selfie on his wall of Nami, Usopp and Luffy having a good time at Brook’s, posted several hours ago. He smiles at their stupid faces, they look happily drunk.

Then, shockingly, he sees a photo album from Law of his new place all set up and sorted out. It looks nice and sleek. Clean, tasteful and simple. Lots of black. Just like he’d expect from the man. Zoro’s in the background of several shots, with his smug grin staring into the camera or his back turned as he’s mulling through a box or adjusting a piece of furniture. His heart picks up several beats, a strong spark of warmth filling his body which has felt frigidly cold all weekend.

Just as Sanji’s hand reaches down to his hardening cock, he groans and turns the phone over, slamming it onto the mattress and burrowing his face into the pillow. “Stop,” he mumbles into the material. He needs to stop. Zoro has a boyfriend. Zoro has a boyfriend who he cares very deeply for. A boyfriend who moved all this way from the east coast to be with him. They’re happy, healthy and Sanji will not complicate things for them. That’s a terrible pain he knows from his past all too well. He refuses to be that guy.

Yet why does Zoro insist on coming to Zeff’s every weeknight? All the teasing, bickering, bantering, the charged looks. The undeniable _flirting_. It’s all so different than it was in their past as children, as teenagers. This is his childhood friend. It makes these feelings feel taboo and off-limits. Sanji is the only one who’s drastically changed -- or so he thought. The way Law looks at him and Zoro, tries to keep them in check. Like he sees where his boyfriend’s attention is going and that Zoro is giving it out willingly. Is that not telling for what’s truly going on? Or is he merely deluding himself here.

Before he knows it, all these fleeting hopes has his hips grinding into the sheets, the friction completing his erection. Hand moving automatically to his swollen cock, Sanji gasps loudly when he grasps it, giving it a firm stroke, picturing Zoro’s strong fingers clutching around him. Practically feeling his hot breath at his ear as he imagines Zoro’s powerful form swallow around him, compressing him gruffly to the mattress. A playful smirk against his shoulder, teeth grazing against his neck.

Fuck, yeah. His body is on fire now.

Sanji already hates himself for falling into this overly familiar pace, but he can’t stop when it feels this good. When it fills the empty crevices of his soul for only the briefest of moments. It doesn’t matter. Law doesn’t have to know. Zoro doesn’t have to know. No one has to know. It’s just him in this empty home, making himself feel good. When's the last time anyone else did?

Shifting onto his side, Sanji stretches over to his nightstand, pulling open the small drawer to retrieve a tube. He squeezes a decent amount into his palm and sets the lube aside before warming it on his fingers. Moving onto his back, he spreads his legs wide while stroking himself before using his other hand to drift further south. Breathing heavily as he rubs the sensitive area, hips bucking with need, he imagines Zoro’s cock perched there teasingly before plunging inside. His fingers twist and curl, finding his euphoric spot and prompting the stroking hand on his erection to hasten in pace.

Zoro’s name is a desperate whisper on his lips as he squirms and curls forward, plunging over the edge in mere minutes from the fantasies he’s been keeping to himself since his friend came home weeks ago. This is far from the first time he's jacked off to the thought of him. Panting and wiping away the damp strands sticking to his brow, he grabs a tissue, cleans up and rolls onto his side, staring out the window forlornly until his eyes droop closed and he finally shuts out the darkness of the night.

 

* * *

 

“Going out?”

Zoro glances up from where he’s seated on the side of the bed tying his sneakers, catching Law’s blank stare from the doorway of the bathroom.  He watches as a thick water droplet drips from his wet black strands onto his shoulder, trickling down his bare chest. Raising his eyes, he meets the questioning gaze again and shrugs.  “It’s Monday.”

“Suppose it is,” Law agrees quietly, crossing the small space to his dresser on the opposite wall.  He searches through the drawers until he finds a t-shirt and jeans. Once dressed, he twists and leans against the bureau.

“Staying up?” Zoro asks as he stands, turning and acknowledging his boyfriend’s choice of clothing.

“Usopp is coming over to look at my models now that they’re unpacked,” Law explains with a smirk, crossing his arms.  “Think he’s bringing the red hat with him.”

Zoro grins softly at Law’s quirky nickname for Luffy.  He’s been calling him that ever since he’s caught on that Luffy’s red ball cap is a frequent accessory.  It’s not a surprise that Usopp would be interested in his boyfriend’s hobby of building model ships -- or more recently, submarines.  He’s got everything from professional woodwork to Legos. It is, however, a shock that the stern man before him would allow Luffy anywhere close to his prized possessions.  

“Luffy, huh?” Zoro questions with curiosity, patting his pocket to make sure he has his phone.  “Figured he’d break your shit.”

“I’ll cut his hand off if he does,” Law retorts solemnly.

They stare at each other for a heavy moment before they both crack a smile, Zoro shaking his head at his boyfriend’s quip.  “See ya later,” he says with a laugh, turning to head out the bedroom door. Pausing for a moment, he calls back over his shoulder, “Don’t completely dismember him.”

“I’ll try not to.”

 

 

Sanji is begrudgingly pouring another beer for a particularly annoying customer tonight when the doors to Zeff’s open and another bothersome man walks in. Right on time. He smirks as he sets down the pint. At least Zoro is someone whose shit he actually likes to put up with. And he was getting pretty aggravated having only this dumb prick here to keep him company. Doesn’t know where he’d strayed in from -- never served him before.

“Drifting in on another Monday night,” Sanji teases, tossing a coaster down on Zoro’s usual spot. His body warms as two muscled arms perch up against the bar, an intense set of coal black eyes burning a hole through him. “Maybe you should find a good book.” He smirks, gesturing to Zoro’s dumb eyeglasses. “Got the right equipment for it.”

“Probably should,” Zoro agrees with a scowl as he settles onto his stool.  He looks Sanji over, giving him a smug grin. “Your company is shit.”

“Could say the same to you. Why do you think I suggested it?” Sanji says with a playful scowl. “What’ll it be tonight?”

“Double whiskey,” Zoro orders from the bar, nodding at the bottle of Jim Beam.  “Something strong to deal with you.”

Rolling his eyes, Sanji turns to grab the bottle and fill a rocks glass with ice from the well before slamming it in front of Zoro and filling it up well past halfway. “Here for not even a minute and I’m already needing a smoke.”

The other man at the bar chimes in gruffly, “Be nice if I could get a pour like that.”

Sanji grimaces over to him. This weird fuck’s been a pain in his ass since he stumbled in here. Just as he’s about to respond, he’s interrupted.

“Perks of being a regular,” Zoro comments casually as he swallows back a gulp of his whiskey and glances at the unfamiliar man seated on the other side of the bar.

“Been living here since before you were born. Regular to these parts.”

“Oh really?” Sanji asks with a noticeable tint of annoyance in his tone. “Been working here all my life and never seen you in here.”

The man simply shrugs and throws back his beer, chugging over half of it. Tilting the glass at Sanji, he commands, “Another beer. And a shot of Fireball.”

Sanji scowls, giving Zoro a quick look before obliging to get the moron to shut up. After serving him his drinks, the man gives him a patronizing thanks and he’s about ready to kick his teeth in right then and there. But instead he reins himself in and turns back to Zoro, ignoring the interruption. “So how’s the new place?”

Stare lingering on the obnoxious patron for a brief moment, Zoro delivers one last fierce scowl before returning his attention to Sanji.  “Fine,” he responds with a shrug, leaning forward and resting his forearm on the bar counter. “Got everything unpacked.”

“I saw some pictures on Facebook. Looks nice. Sure that was more Law’s doing than yours,” Sanji says as he idly takes out a notebook and sets it on the bar counter in front of Zoro, beginning to jot down a beer and liquor list. “What’d you get up to on the weekend?”

“Not much,” Zoro replies nonchalantly, chasing a drop of condensation on the side of his glass with a finger.  “Saw my pops.”

“Yeah? What’d he get on your ass for this time?”

Zoro finishes off his whiskey, setting down the empty glass and nodding at Sanji.  “No job, drinking too much, wasting my time.” He grimaces, pushing back a familiar ache in his chest.  “Same shit as always.”

Sanji chuckles and nods as he fills up Zoro’s glass with another healthy amount, crossing out his original amount for Jim Beam and increasing it. He knows what it’s like to have a hardass dad probably better than anyone else in this town.

Taking a long swallow from his refilled glass, Zoro stares over the rim and gives Sanji a smirk.  “Said he had new wines for you to try,” he continues as he sets his glass back down on the coaster.  “Told him if he wanted to ask you out, he could just ring you up.”

“Hey. If it means expensive bottles of wine for the rest of my life, I’m all for it,” Sanji jokes back, shaking his head. “How hungover was Law Saturday morning?” He pauses briefly. “Does that robot _get_ hangovers?”

“Laid on the couch for about three hours,” Zoro confirms with a snicker, rapping his knuckles on the wood bartop.  “Took two pots of coffee to make him human again.” He laughs lightly, giving Sanji a grin. “Bags under his eyes were deeper than the Grand Canyon.”

Unwilling to stare directly at Zoro, his guilty session from early that morning still at the forefront of his mind, Sanji keeps his eyes focused on his notepad, tapping his pen on the page. “I feel that. Barely crawled in here Saturday night. Thought I was gonna die.”

Zoro studies Sanji for a quiet moment, recalling the party from Friday night and Nami’s comment about him going home with that weird friend of Ace’s.  Taking another drink of whiskey, Zoro raises an eyebrow and asks teasingly, “Late night with that guy, huh?”

At this, Sanji looks up, feeling embarrassment in every cell of his body. Someone must have noticed them leave together, Nami most likely. Her word gets around fast. “Nothing --”

“Hey, bartender,” the drunken man interrupts loudly, shaking his empty shot glass and slamming it down. “‘Nother shot.”

Sanji glares over to the man who is increasingly becoming more drunk. He’s starting to consider cutting him off. Biting his tongue, he says nothing as he pulls the Fireball from the ice and hovers it over the empty shot glass.

“Sorry,” the man says sarcastically, putting up his hands. “Didn’t mean to interrupt your ‘conversation.’”

Sanji bristles, giving the prick an intense icy glare as he keeps the bottle poised over the shot glass, refusing to pour more until the man agrees to cool it with comments like that. “Look, pal. Behave yourself or you’re cut off.”

“Cut me off?” the drunken man slurs with a biting laugh.  “Your boyfriend over there is sucking back shots harder than you probably suck his cock.”

Slamming the bottle down on the bartop, Sanji is beyond angry, his expression fierce. “That’s it. Pay up, you’re done.”

“Hell I am,” the man says aggressively, grabbing the bottle overtop Sanji’s hand to take control and pour his own shot.

“Hey!” Sanji shouts, pulling back and creating a brief tug-of-war between them, shocked by how much the situation is escalating. Been awhile since he’s had to deal with a difficult customer on this level. When the man violently grabs his wrist for more leverage, Sanji angrily yells, “I said you’re done, asshole!”

“That’s enough, shithead,” Zoro snarls through gritted teeth, already off his stool and snatching the belligerent drunk’s hand away in a tight hold.  He twists the man’s arm behind his back, earning an indignant cry of protest from the bastard. The man’s other arm flails so Zoro grabs ahold of it as well, tearing him from his stool with a clatter and dragging him towards the door.  Too drunk and weak to put up much of a fight, it isn’t difficult to get him across the small space.

Sanji watches from the bar as Zoro shoves the man out the door, the drunken fool spouting on about ‘special treatment’ and ‘shitty service’ the entire way. Sighing heavily and running a hand through his hair, Sanji looks to Zoro gratefully and calls, “Thanks. Lock it up for me. Done for the night. Need a smoke _and_ a drink, now.”

“Gladly,” Zoro mutters as he goes through the motions of locking the door and turning off the neon sign.  He wanders back to his seat, tugging his glasses from his shirt and inspecting them as he sits back down. “Bastard better not’ve scratched my glasses.”

Sanji laughs slowly as he watches Zoro study his glasses with care. “Grown attached to the granny glasses, have you?”

Zoro puts the frames on his face, smirking as he takes a gulp of whiskey.  “Grown attached to seeing clearly, wiseass.”

Sanji just hums as he cleans up after the troublesome patron, frowning deeply with a small sigh. “That dick didn’t leave a cent on his tab. Should’ve cash and carried him.”

“Add it to mine,” Zoro calls over gruffly, finishing off his drink and tapping the glass.  “And another whiskey.”

“Don’t worry about it. No big loss,” Sanji says under his breath as he refills Zoro’s glass. “Would’ve dragged him out myself but I guess that’s what you’re here for, brute. There’s a job for you. Bouncer.”  

“He was annoying,” Zoro responds with a shrug.  He wouldn’t have gotten involved but it really got under his skin the way the fucker was trying to manhandle that bottle from Sanji.  Something broke within him and he had to intervene. “Interrupted my drinking.”

Sanji smirks delicately. “Your drinking, huh.” Sometimes he can’t help himself but to dig further and flirt. Which is why Zoro’s little drop-ins are becoming quite the burden for him lately. He shakes his head and pops a cigarette between his lips before pulling out a bottle of beer and taking a seat on his personal stool from behind the bar. Crossing his legs, he lights up and takes a long puff. “How come you and Law never drop in on weekends?”

Keeping his stare fixed on the amber liquid in his glass, Zoro ponders the question for a quiet moment.  Though Law probably would come out to the bar if he asked, he’s never really had the urge to bring his boyfriend here.  In a weird way, it’s his escape. Things at home have been strange lately. Hell, if he’s being honest, things have been strange ever since they moved out here from Norfolk.  Pushing away that particular topic for the time being, Zoro takes a hearty drink from his glass.

Coming out on the weekend alone doesn’t appeal to him either.  It’s busy, giving no real opportunity to sit back and shoot the shit with his old friend -- something he’s grown fond of over the last few weeks.  He glances up at Sanji, teasing smirk on his lips. “Weekend means bad service.”

Squinting his eyes slightly as he exhales a plume of smoke, Sanji nods. “Fair enough. Wouldn’t want a drinker like you in here when I’m busy anyway. You with your empty glass every two fucking seconds. Would have to convince the old man to hire more staff just to keep on top of it.”

“A personal bartender,” Zoro says grinning, punctuating his statement by finishing off his drink with a satisfied grunt.  “I like it.”

Sanji groans, his form of nonverbal complaint while being forced to stand after just sitting down. Refilling Zoro’s glass, he shakes his head. “I decline. We’ll find a pretty girl to flirt with you. Know how much you’d enjoy that,” he remarks dully with wide smirk. He keeps the bottle of Jim Beam on the bartop for Zoro before sitting back down and taking a long pull from his beer, noticing in the corner of his vision the light flickering overtop the pool table. Still hasn’t fixed that -- he’s got time, the bulb hasn’t burned out completely yet.

“Already got you,” Zoro quips as he grips his glass, swirling whiskey around the edges.

Sanji stares hard at Zoro, the comment pausing his hand as he’s about to take another puff from his cigarette. It’s shit like this that Zoro throws at him which makes him question what’s happening beneath the surface. The question itself is close to escaping past his lips tonight, but he uses some much needed self-restraint and changes the subject. “Any luck on work?”

“Nope,” Zoro responds bitterly, scowl forming on his face.  He stares hard into his glass, resting his forearms on the bartop.  “Don’t wanna settle for a shit job when I got plenty saved.” He sighs irritably, gripping his drink and tilting back the shot.  “Law’s started in on me about it.”

“Oh yeah?” Sanji asks, curiosity piqued. “He mad?”

Zoro crosses his arms over his chest, connecting his gaze with Sanji’s.  “Nah, not mad,” he answers with a shake of his head. Law wouldn’t ever be angry with him while he’s still got money to pay the bills.  But there’s a subtle disgruntled tone in his partner’s voice every time he asks about the job hunt. It’s like Law doesn’t entirely trust him to get his shit together.  Just another thing to add to the seemingly growing list of irritants Zoro’s had about his boyfriend lately. Sanji’s searching gaze still pinned on him, Zoro raises a hand to rub the back of his neck and continues, “Just been asking a lot.”

“Maybe he’s worried,” Sanji offers, shrugging. “To be honest I’d be worried too if I were dating an alien lifeform.” He laughs when Zoro gives him an annoyed glare. “Sorry. Were we supposed to be having a heart-to-heart here?” he teases, tilting his head back to swallow a gulp of beer.

Zoro shakes his head, deciding to turn the tables on his old friend.  “Supposed to be talking about you and that weirdo.” He motions to his head.  “Bad haircut guy.”

Closing his eyes with a deep sigh, Sanji puts his hand to his forehead. He thought he’d escaped this line of questioning -- usually Zoro doesn’t come back to the same thing twice, especially when it’s in the territory of gossip. “You sure are relentless on this topic,” Sanji says, testing the waters with a lingering stare.

“Figured if you got laid, you’d be less of a tight ass,” Zoro teases with a smirk.

Sanji raises a brow. “Do I seem like less of a tight ass to you?”

“No.”

“Then you have your answer,” Sanji responds, staring at the cigarette smouldering in his grip. He taps it over his ashtray on the shelf behind him.  “Nothing happened. Was too drunk, in a shit state. Would’ve been a mistake.”

For some unexplained reason, a sense of relief washes over Zoro at this answer.  Probably just happy his friend didn’t do something he regrets. Deciding to respond with humor, he picks up his glass and stares at it, asking solemnly, “So my tab won’t be free?”

Sanji narrows his eyes at Zoro with a subtle smirk. “Already let one asshole walk out of here tonight without paying his tab. Won’t be making it two.”

“Tight ass.”

 

* * *

 

“The Thursday special is an Avocado BLT.”

Zoro glances up to where Law is frowning at the specials menu in disgust, obviously displeased to see a sandwich as the highlighted item.  One with avocado at that -- his second least favorite food, right behind bread. Shaking his head in amusement, Zoro continues reading over the menu, hoping their waitress shows up soon. He needs a drink.  They met up for an early dinner right after Law got off work. The restaurant is still pretty empty so he’s not sure what’s taking so long. Glancing around the space, he spies a familiar face smirking at him from a few tables away as she sashays in their direction.  That’s why.

Nami seems to take her time strolling over, phone still in one hand as she finishes her text mere steps away from their table. “Hey dickbags,” she greets brusquely, eyeing the two menacingly all of a sudden. “Don’t tell my manager I’m talking to you like this.”

“Gimme a free drink and I won’t,” Zoro offers as a compromise, leaning back in his chair and giving her a sly grin.  

“Try this. Say a word and I’ll spit in your food,” Nami fires back, glaring hard at Zoro.

“Don’t expect a tip,” Zoro retorts with a scowl.

Nami huffs loudly, putting a hand to her hip. “Why’re you two even bothering me here?”

“I’m hungry,” Law comments casually, looking up from the menu and sending her a bewildered expression.  

“There are other restaurants,” Nami remarks coldly before shaking her head and staring at them expectantly, snapping her fingers. “Drinks?”

“Quit being a bitch,” Zoro snarls, crossing his arms over his chest and meeting Nami’s stare head-on.  “Whiskey on the rocks.”

“Diet Coke.”

“ _God._ ” Nami rolls her eyes and strolls off, already pulling her phone back out of her apron.

Zoro watches as his friend stalks away, shaking his head as she disappears behind the small bar tucked in the back of the restaurant.  He dives back into reading over the menu, settling on an order of fish tacos. Law must’ve decided his meal as well, his nose buried completely in his phone as silence permeates around them.  With nothing else to do, Zoro rests his arms on the table and stares out the nearby window.

 

Enjoying the remainder of his hours off before work tonight, Sanji is sitting at home on the couch with his laptop on his thighs as he scrolls aimlessly on the internet. He’s interrupted from his web surfing when his phone goes off on the cushion beside him. Pulling up his screen and seeing it’s Nami on Facebook Messenger, he opens up the app without a second to spare.

 

 **Nami Katt:** Oh my GOD Sanji. Guess who I’m serving rn.

 **Sanji Canard:** Who?

 **Nami Katt:** Captain Dark and his weirdass boyfriend.

 

Sanji cracks a grin immediately as she sends a sneaky picture from afar of the two awkwardly sitting together, Law hunched over his phone and Zoro’s gaze off somewhere else in the restaurant.

 

 **Nami Katt:** They’re MISERABLE. Look at them!!

 **Sanji Canard:** Lmao they look like they’re on a bad first date.

 **Nami Katt:** I’m dying. I’ll send you all the updates. Grabbing their drinks now.

 

Nami saunters over with their drinks, placing them down and tossing a couple cocktail napkins in the middle of the table haphazardly. “I get off in like an hour so I hope you decided on food.”

“Keep acting that way and he’s gonna leave you a bad review on Yelp,” Zoro says with a snort, nodding at Law across the table.  The man barely reacts, merely shrugging as he continues tapping away at a game of Solitaire on his phone.

“Whatever,” Nami dismisses. “What do you want to eat?”

“Fish tacos,” Zoro orders, sliding the menu to the edge of the table.  “Fries.”

Law finally looks up from his phone, connecting his gaze with Nami.  “The buffalo chicken salad. No cheese or croutons. Extra tomatoes. Thousand Island dressing.”  He pauses, frowning. “Put the dressing on the side.” He reads over the menu once again and adds, “And a side of tater tots.”

Nami’s expression does not hide her horror. She blinks slowly before leaving the table without a word.

Zoro grabs his whiskey tosses back a long gulp, pointedly ignoring the steely stare he’s receiving from the other side of the table.  He sets down his glass and returns his gaze out the window to the red rocks in the horizon.

“How’s the job hunt been?” Law asks quietly, leaning an elbow on the table and resting his cheek on his palm, eyes lowered to his phone.

Zoro scowls, picking up his glass and finishing it off.  He looks to his right and finds Nami staring at him, raising his empty glass and shaking it at her.  Returning his attention back to the question, he answers tersely, “Shitty.”

Law hums in response, not bothering to raise his gaze as he comments coolly, “Hopefully something will pop up.”

Zoro stares hard at his partner across the table, watching as he continues tapping on the screen, completely apathetic to their surroundings and conversation.  Irritated that the man has to ask him every fucking day about the job hunt, Zoro’s relieved that Law doesn’t want to engage in any further discussion about the topic.  Things have been off between them lately. Tense. He’s not sure if it’s just his own frustration over being jobless and directionless or if it’s his boyfriend’s passive attitude about it, but there’s a subtle irritation that grinds Zoro’s nerves anytime they’re together.  Whatever the case may be, it’s quickly driving a wedge between them and he’s not sure how to stop it. Tearing his eyes away from Law’s blank expression, Zoro shifts his gaze to the window once again, taking in a deep breath. It’ll probably pass, he just needs to give it some time.

 

 

Sanji is checking his email when he finds a reply from the program he applied to in New York City. His eyes widen slightly and he cracks a grin at the acceptance letter staring him in the face. He can’t believe how quickly they got back to him on that. Maybe they’re excited to take on mature students for this particular culinary program. His growing excitement is put on hold when his phone buzzes once more.

 

 **Nami Katt:** Law just ordered a buffalo chicken salad with Thousand Island dressing on the side.

 **Sanji Canard:** That’s pretty gross.

 **Nami Katt:** You’re telling me. Also they’re like not talking at all and it’s depressing.

 **Sanji Canard:** What did green man order.

 **Nami Katt:** Fish tacos and fries.

 **Sanji Canard:** Loser.

 **Nami Katt:** Omg they were just talking for like two seconds but now they’re being weird again. Zoro’s sucking back his drinks.

 

Sanji types up a lame response to that, not knowing what else to say. He wonders if she’s over-exaggerating or if maybe there’s something off about Zoro and Law’s relationship right now. He feels a pang of guilt. He knows he’s overthinking it due to his feelings for Zoro, but hopes it has nothing to do with him. His flirtations late at night at the bar have been a bit out of control this week. However, Zoro always dishes it back with equal vigor. Doesn't make it right, however.

Staring at his screen at the acceptance letter, he deeply ponders his decision to be made. On the one hand, he truly wants to go to better himself and experience something outside of this small little corner of the world. On the other, he’d miss all of his friends, his dad -- not to mention Zoro who’s only just returned to renew the spark he’s been missing in his life. If Zoro and Law are going through something serious, it’s possible Sanji may be thinking of leaving with poor timing.

Immediately guilt flares up in him once again, this time twice as hard. What an awful thought. He shouldn’t be thinking things like that, let alone utilizing them as a reason to stay.

 

Zoro grins as Nami approaches their table with a fresh drink in hand, intercepting it from her grip before she can set it on the table.  He gestures to the mostly empty restaurant with the glass, asking curiously, “Usually like this?”

“This time of day? Yeah. Dinner rush will start around six,” she responds, pleasantly this time. “Plans tonight?”

Shrugging, Zoro takes a sip from his glass and sets it on the table.  “Bar,” he states nonchalantly and nods towards Law. “Probably reading or some shit.”

Law agrees dully without lifting his head, “Yeah. Reading or some shit.”

“Well, I’ll warn Sanji to expect your dumb ass in later then, Zoro,” Nami jokes with a short laugh. Then she turns her critical eyes to the top of Law’s head. “And what’s with you letting him off the hook for going out all the time on weeknights?”

This time Law looks up, eyebrow raised.  “Doesn’t really matter to me,” he responds flatly, reaching forward to take a sip from his drink.  “Not like I could stop him anyway.”

Zoro folds his arms across his chest, a frown on his lips as he studies his partner.  Law’s never once made it seem like there was a problem with his going out. If he had at any point, Zoro would’ve listened.  Unsure how to take that last comment, he offers with a callous stare, “I’d stay in. Just gotta ask me.”

“I don’t want you to stay in,” Law returns icily.

With a roll of his eyes, Zoro picks up his whiskey and finishes it off in one swallow.  “Another drink,” he says to Nami, scooting the empty glass to the edge of the table.

Nodding with a sympathetic look, Nami quickly stalks off towards the bar.

 

 **Nami Katt:** Sanji. Oh my FUCKING god.

 **Sanji Canard:** What what? What’s wrong Nams?

 **Nami Katt:** I’m actually worried about them.

 **Sanji Canard:** WHAT?

 **Nami Katt:** I was just making small talk and they got all weird and shit.  

 **Sanji Canard:** Weird how?

 **Nami Katt:** Zoro said he’s going to Zeff’s tonight and Law got weird about it.  Okay so yeah I kinda stoked the fire but he got weird!

 

Sanji stares at his phone, biting the nail of his thumb as he reads over Nami’s message. Zoro’s apparently coming into Zeff’s tonight, which is expected. But Law got weird about it? Shit. Law’s probably pissed off about Zoro spending so much time with him. Hell, he’d be furious too. He remembers exactly how he felt when Ace was spending all that not-so-innocent time with Marco soon into their relationship. Putting a hand to his hair and combing through the strands, Sanji one-handedly types a question in response.

 

 **Sanji Canard:** Are they fighting?

 **Nami Katt:** No! And that’s why it’s weird! It’s like he doesn’t care at all. About Zoro. Zoro’s a dumbass but shouldn’t Law care about him? I knew I didn’t like him, Sanji! Ugh!

 **Sanji Canard:** I think he cares. Seems like they’re just going through something. Do you think he’s mad about Zoro not spending nights with him or?

 **Nami Katt:** Zoro said something about Law could ask him to stay and Law said he doesn’t want Zoro to stay. I got out of there quick to get Zoro another drink. His THIRD one btw!

 **Sanji Canard:** They’ll work through it. I guess I should expect greenie to be even more of a pain in my ass tonight. Damn drunkard. Torturing us both in one day.

 **Nami Katt:** Brb delivering their food.

 

Spotting Nami coming their way with their food and his drink in hand, Zoro’s happy to have something to focus on other than the silence that’s settled between him and Law.  Plate set down before him, he digs in ravenously while his partner carefully inspects his order. Finding everything to be correct, he begins tentatively picking at his meal.  Nami excuses herself from the table, leaving them to eat quietly until an all too recognizable voice fills the restaurant, catching their attention.

“Traffy!”

Zoro observes with interest as Law lifts his head immediately at the sound of the greeting, a subtle smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.  Amused stare focused at the entrance of the restaurant, Law gestures to Luffy with a small wave, their friend’s sandals loudly clacking in the empty space as he draws nearer.

“Whoa, tots!”

“Yo, Luffy,” Zoro acknowledges with a grin as Luffy appears at their tableside, hand already snatching food from their plates.  He bats the thieving appendage away from his fries, taking note that Law doesn’t seem to care about his sudden decrease in tater tots.

“I saw your car out front!” Luffy says to Law excitedly, bouncing on his feet.  He thrusts in a finger in the man’s face, laughing boisterously, “I beat your score! I’m the best at pinball again!”

Snickering, Law lightly pushes Luffy’s hand away. “I’ll just beat yours again,” he challenges with a playful gleam in his eyes. “Did you come here just to tell me that?”

Luffy’s raucous shouting has Nami sauntering back to the table. She shares an intrigued look with Zoro as they watch Law and Luffy interact and bounce off of each other.

Zoro raises an eyebrow, chewing his fries slowly as Luffy grabs Law by the shoulder, shaking him as he continues to excitedly yell.  As expected, his boyfriend scowls in reaction, but he makes no attempt to stop the motion. Seems he’s really grown used to Luffy’s antics these past few weeks.  He washes back his meal with the last of his whiskey. At least Law’s connected with someone around here. Helps to ease some of Zoro’s lingering concerns about the cross-country move.

“Oh! Nami!” Luffy finally notices the redhead standing next to him.

“Hey loudmouth,” Nami responds dully.

“We’re watching scary movies at your place tonight,” Luffy states with a bright smile.  His eyes widen, head spinning to acknowledge Law again. “You gotta come, Traffy!”

“Sure.”

“Yup. Just invite yourselves over while I’m standing right here,” Nami complains, brushing some stray red strands from her face.

“You don’t mind, right, Nami?” Luffy asks with a begging grin.  “You have the best TV!”

Nami’s eyes light up. “I know. Haggled the best deal on that Smart TV.” She pauses in her daze, before promptly questioning, “Did you tell Usopp?”

“Yeah! You, Me, Usopp, Traffy.”

Nami nods, her attention quickly turning expectantly to Zoro with a hand to her hip. “Zeff’s or scary movies with us?”

Luffy’s round eyes land on Zoro, excitement shining as he enthusiastically urges, “Movies with us! C’mon!”

Zoro’s eyes dart between the three of them all staring expectantly in his direction, Law’s gaze particularly curious as he contemplates his plans for the evening.  While the idea of going to the bar and seeing Sanji is enticing, he knows he’s avoided home most nights since being back. Maybe spending some time with his boyfriend and his other friends will help settle some of the tensions that flared up at the earlier discussion about going out.  Law says he doesn’t care and Zoro believes him, but he also knows deep down he should be doing more. The man did move all the way out here to be with him after all. Leaning back in his chair, he feels his knee brush against Law’s as he smirks and replies.

“Fine.  Movies.”

 

* * *

 

A relatively busy night for a Thursday. Lots of socializing tonight with regulars. Poker, pool, the works. His dad had lingered into the evening before heading home about an hour ago. Busy night, he’d made some good money and yet the one regular he’d been hoping to see -- hell, _expecting_ from Nami’s messages earlier -- didn’t show up whatsoever. Sanji is just locking up the backdoor outside as he ruminates on his disappointment. Maybe Law forbade it. Maybe Zoro won’t be stopping in for drinks at all anymore, or at the very least much less frequently.

It’s not like he doesn’t get it. Anyone witnessing their interactions would tell him they’re flirty. Even his old man tonight had made some comments about it. If it’s that obvious, it truly is something he needs to tiptoe around from now on. No more.

With that settled in his mind, Sanji hops into his Jeep and drives off in the opposite direction of his house. He’s got a full pack of cigarettes, the perfect playlist at the ready on his phone and many hours of the night still ahead of him. Sliding his sunroof down and enjoying the breeze through his hair, he peers over the wheel past the windshield to see a boundlessly clear sky, the Milky Way sublimely distinct tonight. Smirking, he speeds up and winds seamlessly through the highway until he turns onto a dirt road leading towards his usual spot.

After parking, sticking his feet on the dash and lighting up, he relieves his mind of Zoro and considers the new path he’d been shown this afternoon. The Big Apple. He’s always dreamed of making it there, living in the glamorous city full of different cultures, cuisines and people from all over the world. Whiskey Peak is his home, it will always be his home but there’s no denying that it’s much too small for him. He’d been cooking with his dad all his life, food and drink being his one true passion. He knows his mother would be proud of him for embarking on a journey to New York City to hone such skills. She’d always loved his cooking even when he’d been a knowledgeless brat. The slop he’d made for her -- yet her smile all the same, bright as the sun. He shakes his head with a smile.

A sad feeling settles in his chest. It’s been too long since he’s visited her grave. He mentally reminds himself to bring some flowers for her next week.

There are however many drawbacks to a move like that. His dad still needs someone to watch over him, his health is deteriorating -- not rapidly, but the man is getting old. He feels responsible for anything that may happen to him. He can’t run the bar alone. And it’s not as if Sanji’s life is all bad here. He’s got an amazing and supportive group of friends, all unique and irreplaceable to him. He knows city people could never replace their eccentricities, molded by small town living. He’d miss them deeply. It feels like a selfish move when he considers these factors.

But there’s the issue of his love life. It’s been too long since Sanji’s been in a relationship and it is severely beginning to fuck with his confidence. Like a massive chunk of him is missing, leaving nothing but a gaping hole. There’s no one in Whiskey Peak for him, he knows virtually everyone in this town. Most of the prime candidates are either straight or taken. And of the few promising men he’s met or chatted with online, they all live hours away. Long distance is not for him.

He’s considered the middle ground of moving to Phoenix, but he figures if he’s really going to put his all into bettering his education and his skills, he might as well go big or go home. There’s no better place for his interests than New York City. He will grow much more from that experience than settling for just any city within reach.

More than half a pack of cigarettes later, Sanji finally decides it’s time to head home. He glances at the digits illuminated on his dashboard. One thirty in the morning. Not as bad as usual. Twisting his keys in the ignition, his headlights beam onto the red dust and yellow grass of the desert. He drives off, kicking up dirt from under his tires. Coyotes howl in the distance, causing his shoulders to tense, a small grin sprouting on his face as a shiver runs down his spine.

 

 

“Ew.”

“Gross!”

“ _Wicked_.”

“That’s medically impossible,” Law muses, tilting his head and studying the screen intently.

“Are you sure?” Luffy leans over and asks curiously, pointing to the bleeding victim.  “Looks pretty convincing to me.”

“I come from a family of doctors. I’m sure,” Law responds with a shake of his head, shoving Luffy lightly away from him.

Zoro rolls his eyes, crossing his arms as he moves his gaze back to the slasher film playing on the screen.  He doesn’t necessarily dislike horror movies -- they’re just boring. They never scare him like Nami and Usopp, the special effects don’t entice him like Luffy, and he has no interest in picking apart their flaws like Law.  Wouldn’t be so bad if they weren’t on their third one for the evening. He glances at the time on his phone. Quarter ‘til two in the morning. Bored out of his mind with fake blood and screaming, his thoughts wander to a more interesting topic.  Like why the blond bartender hasn’t shown up yet.

Sanji usually closes up around ten on Thursdays and his after shift work takes thirty minutes max.  Zoro knows the routine -- he’s seen it time and time again over the last few weeks. Maybe he got held up with something.  Zoro feels cold toes suddenly on his shin, looking to his left and finding Nami giving him a knowing smirk.

She leans over the arm of the couch, stretching to where he’s seated in the chair and whispers, “He’s normally done by now, right?”   When he nods in response, her eyes light up as she continues, “I knew it! He’s up to something.”

“Be quiet!” Usopp hushes her, sitting on the edge of the couch with his stare focused intently on the screen.  

“Yeah Nami!” Luffy agrees in a loud voice, leaning over Law and Usopp to get her attention.  “Katie’s about to lose her other arm!”

“Spoilers! Spoilers!” Usopp shouts irritably, putting a hand in Luffy’s face and shoving him away.  Luffy flails at the action, hitting Law in the chest with his wild appendages.

“Can you stop?” Law questions in a dull voice, gripping Luffy’s arm in his hand and pushing it away.

Nami turns back to Zoro, annoyance plainly written on her face in the glowing light of the vast screen.  “Anyway. I think something’s up with him.”

Zoro’s eyes dart from the rough housing that’s dissolved on the couch between the three men to Nami’s look of concern.  A memory floats to his mind from weeks ago, Usopp telling him about their theory of Sanji’s late night hook-ups. Not that it’s any of his business what Sanji’s up to.  Or Nami’s for that matter. Frowning, he turns his attention back to the movie, ignoring his friend’s desperate attempts to further gossip.

In an annoyed huff, Nami twists away from Zoro to the men jostling her and screeches, “Can you three shut the fuck up?!”

Zoro’s eyes glaze over as he watches another body party fly across the screen, fake blood spurting on the screaming face of yet another dumb bitch.  Settling in a more relaxed position, he rests his hands behind his head and closes his eyes, prepared to doze through the rest of the movie. Right as he begins slipping into unconsciousness, his shoulders tense, ears perking at the sound of a key rattling in the door.  He opens his eyes to the sight of Sanji shuffling in the house. Finally, some real entertainment.

The shrill scream of a woman sounds from the living space, making Sanji cringe as he slips off his shoes. He’d seen several cars outside, indicating that they have company over late. Keys jangling in his grip, he steps into the room where he spots everyone. His eyes focus on Law and Luffy, the two of them curiously sitting together on the couch with Usopp and Nami while Zoro is on his own in a chair. The man’s heavy stare is on him. Sanji looks away immediately. “Hey,” he greets casually, gesturing to the screen. “Movie night?”

“Sanji!” Luffy greets with an obnoxious wave, causing Law to scowl at the wide gesture.  “You’re just in time for Chainsaw Lunatic part four!”

Grimacing at the gratuitous blood and screaming on the television, Sanji scratches his head. “Not into watching women die violent deaths, thanks.”

“It’s a movie,” Law comments dryly, eyebrow raised at Sanji.

Sanji shrugs with a small laugh, not offering Law any eye contact. “Still not an image I like to put in my head.”

“He’s a pansy,” Zoro explains with a teasing smirk.  He turns to the group on the couch, yawning and scratching his head.  “Part four? Not interested.”

Sanji shoots a biting glare to Zoro, but halts his words. Law’s in the room. With Luffy peculiarly clinging to the gloomy man. What’s up with that? Pursing his lips, his eyes settle pleasantly on his roommate, who’s giving him that shrewd look of hers again. “Hey, Nams. How was your day?”

“Sanji,” Nami says dangerously, ignoring his pleasantries completely. “You’re home late again. What kept you?”

Sanji laughs nervously, scratching the back of his head once more. “Was surprisingly busy at work tonight. I had to clean up on my own. Had a couple drinks before leaving.”

Zoro stares at Sanji curiously, listening intently to his explanation.  “Glad I wasn’t there,” he quips through another loud yawn, stretching and rubbing his neck.  “Probably would’ve made me clean.”

Sanji simply shrugs at him, hyper aware of Law’s scrutinizing eyes on him. “Well, I’m exhausted,” he expresses with a deep sigh. “You guys have fun. I’m gonna go shower and head to bed. ‘Night.”

“‘Night, Sanji!” Usopp and Luffy say in unison as Sanji makes his way up the stairs and out of everybody’s sight.

“I have to work early,” Law says with a sigh as the credits start to roll, looking over to Zoro with tired eyes.  “You wanna head out?”

Zoro shifts his gaze to the empty stairs that Sanji just disappeared up before returning his eyes to his boyfriend and nods.  “Let’s go.”

“Aw, man!” Luffy pouts as they stand, looking between them both.  “We got like three more parts to watch!”

“Next time,” Law confirms with a soft smile, digging his keys out of his pocket and tossing them to Zoro.  

They wave goodbye to their friends, Law drifting to the door and Zoro following behind, pausing with his hand on the knob to look over his shoulder once again.  Unable to make any sense of it, he finds his thoughts wandering again to what Usopp had said and Nami’s suspicious line of questioning. If that’s what Sanji’s up to so late, he should just be honest about it.  Better than sneaking around, avoiding the truth. A creeping feeling of hypocrisy settles on his shoulders and he frowns into the night, slamming the door to the townhome and all the questions it holds behind him.

  


 


	7. Chapter 7

Lazy Sunday morning.

Zoro blinks open his eyes, slowly focusing on the white bedroom ceiling, his partner still curled under the blankets.  The last fleeting seconds of his dream slips through the hazy cracks of his memory, lost to him entirely by the time he’s fully conscious.  Whatever it was, it has him riled up and the limber form pressing against him tantalizingly isn’t helping to diminish the growing bulge in his underwear.  Flipping onto his side, he wraps a strong arm around a thin waist and is met with a teasing grind. He smirks as he snakes his hand under the blankets and into the waistband of pajama pants, wrapping his fingers around Law’s already hard erection.  His partner’s body responds with a buck of his hips, a breathy sigh escaping him as Zoro leans in to whisper into his ear.

“Mornin’.”

Law hums and tilts his head to the side, giving Zoro access to press his lips against the skin of the exposed, slender neck, biting and sucking teasingly while he continues to stroke.  Another sigh, another breathy hum, and it’s leaving Zoro craving more. He pulls himself away briefly to dig out a bottle from the bedside table, returning to tug down his boxer briefs and let his erection rest against the small of his partner’s back.  Law slides down his own bottoms and Zoro presses his mouth against a bare shoulder, using a lube-slicked finger to prod where he wants to be. Eyes closed, he loses himself in their languid pace, mind wandering and cock throbbing with every passing minute.  He hears a loud groan and his eyes fly open immediately, not used to pulling much noise from the man twitching beneath his hand. Curiously he’s met with the sight of Law’s eyes closed, pleased look on his face as he’s in his own world, no indication of any loss of control.

Ready to progress things further, Zoro removes his hand and slicks lube on his hard arousal.  Tugging back the blankets, the man beside him follows his lead in flipping onto his stomach and positioning himself raised on his knees.  He looks over his shoulder, grey eyes connecting with Zoro’s stare and gives him an approving nod. Their gazes linger for a brief moment until the man turns away, hand moving to stroke himself as he waits.  Zoro swiftly postures behind and enters the waiting heat, a grunt sounding from his chest at the satisfying feeling. Law tenses and then calms, a sign he’s ready for more.

Building his pace slowly, Zoro begins thrusting forward -- tentatively at first and then increasing in speed.  He runs a hand down the curved spine of the slender back presented before him, feeling every sinewy muscle moving beneath his fingertips.  He needs more. Faster. Fingers trace the dip of a narrow hip, moving to long, powerful thighs, heat rising in his skin as he grips the flesh beneath his hand in a bruising hold.  Squeezing his eyes closed, he drives in even harder, deeper, trusting the man beneath him can take every ounce of what he’s giving. Caught up in the escalating intensity of his needs, Zoro reaches his free hand forward and grasps a fistful of blond strands.

He wrenches his eyes open, pausing his movements to stare down at Law.  Fistful of  _ black _ strands, beneath him a tanned back with black swirling patterns of tattoos.  His partner. Blinking with confusion, Zoro shifts his hands to rest on thin hips and continues to move again.  A breathy gasp sounds from below as his thrusting picks up in power again, the tight heat surrounding Zoro’s throbbing need squeezing and pressing back against him.  Pausing once more, he uses his strength to flip the slender body beneath him, adjusting long legs to rest on his shoulders and allow him deeper access to find that sweet spot again. In total euphoria, he closes his eyes and leans forward, desperately bucking his hips into the man he wants so badly.  Turning his head to the side, he nips at the soft inner flesh of the knee resting against his cheek, teasing smirk on his face knowing it’ll drive the man wild. Fucking relentlessly, he’s cusping on the edge of climax as sultry blue eyes stare up at him, pale face twisted in a mix of pleasure and seductive neediness.  It hits him in his core with a desperate desire, lighting him up with an unquenchable thirst.

No, that’s not right.

Zoro doesn’t have to open his eyes to know the body beneath him is not who he’s seeing in his mind.  He can’t find it in him to release the fantasy. Completely absorbed, he drives forward harder, faster, more powerfully than ever before.  Blue eyes rolling back, blond hair sticking to a flushed face. Skin lit on fire, head swimming as he teeters on the edge, Zoro continues fucking furiously, unable to stop or open his eyes, the image in his head too addicting to give up.  He can hear Law’s sighs and quiet grunts in the distance of his hazy mind, but the noise is quickly replaced with a loud moan singing in his imagination, the smooth voice of its owner releasing his own name. Losing complete control, Zoro releases a loud groan, hips bucking wildly as he orgasms forcefully, the hardest he’s ever climaxed in his life.  

It takes about a full minute for him to come down as he feels the man beneath him remove his legs from his shoulders.  Opening his eyes slowly, he glances down, finding a sticky mess on his lower abdomen as evidence of Law’s own orgasm. Looking up, he connects his gaze with a dull stare and blank expression.  His partner’s chest is heaving slightly as he raises a hand to card through his sweaty hair. Black hair. Grey eyes.  _ Law.   _ Zoro shifts and falls onto his back, stare fixed on the white bedroom ceiling once again.  

He shouldn’t have let that happen.

Keeping his gaze above him, Zoro feels the weight of the mattress shift as Law gets up and heads to the bathroom, the latch clicking quietly behind him as the door closes.  The shower starts soon after, the rhythmic sound of water hitting tile hypnotizing him further into his thoughts. There’s no beating around the bush — what just happened was fucked up.  A fucked up fantasy. A fantasy he let get out of control. A fantasy that he should have never allowed to seep into his mind while with his partner. 

A fantasy he’s had before.

Sighing heavily, Zoro closes his eyes and listens to the soft quiet of the house, the echo of the shower soothing his throbbing mind.  It’s about time to be honest with himself about what’s been happening since he came back to Whiskey Peak. Moved a thousand miles cross country with the man on the other side of the door and it’s wedged more distance between them than he ever could’ve imagined.  Worst part about it is he knows it’s his fault. Shouldn’t’ve brought Law here. There was a risk and he knew it. Deep inside, he knew that there was a chance for it to all rain down again and drown him in the flood. The thick tension, the magnetic pull, the shameless bantering — it’s all as clear as day. 

Zoro sits up and rubs the back of his neck, slowly openings eyes and letting his gaze linger on the closed bathroom door.  He needs to sit down and have a conversation with Law. Lay it all out on the table. It’s unfair to keep things like this any longer.  He sighs heavily, feeling the weight of shame bearing down in his chest. Just gotta sort out what to say. In any other situation, he’d have no issue with the blunt truth.  But his sheer respect for Law is the only thing holding him back from walking into that bathroom now to announce their relationship is over. 

He stands and grabs the first dirty t-shirt he finds to wipe the mess of lube and fluids from his lower half.  Dressed haphazardly in sweats and a tank, Zoro slips out of the room silently and into the living room to grab his keys.  Finding an old receipt and a pen, he scrawls a quick note about going out for an errand and heads out the door, away from the suffocating space.  The sun is already high in the East painting the morning sky hues of gold speckled with blue, not unfamiliar to him as he starts up the engine, the images of Sanji lying beneath him still lingering in his mind.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Maple donut, Nami?”

“Ruining my diet, yet again,” Nami responds bitterly with an exaggerated eye roll, crossing her arms and reading the menu.  When Chopper balks, unsure what to say, she irritably puts a hand on her hip and states, “Of course I want a maple donut! And an eclair.”

“O-okay!” Chopper stutters and rushes to complete her request. 

Sanji is sitting at the hightop, staring out the window and blowing on his coffee. Freshly brewed but still too hot. He and Nami had decided to go to the cafe this morning for breakfast and coffee. They’d mostly been eager to bug Chopper and Usopp since they knew they were working together for the morning shift. Finally, Nami joins him at his side, putting her mug on the table and sliding it close to him so he can take a good look at the latte art Usopp has done for her. He smirks and comments smoothly, “A clover today, hm?”

“I guess he’s feeling lucky,” Nami responds with a pleasant grin, looking into her mug affectionately.  “What a dork.”

“Hey Usopp!” Sanji calls, pointing to the mug in question. “You fucked up a bit in the middle here.”

“I’d like to see you do it better,” Usopp mutters bitterly, clacking the tongs he’s using to serve donuts in Sanji’s direction.

“Usopp showed me how to do a heart yesterday,” Chopper chimes in with a proud grin.  

“Want to see how I made the clover?” Usopp asks, seemingly excited to have somebody interested in his latte art. 

“Oh cool! How?”

Sanji takes his first sip from the mug, enjoying the bitter taste of the coffee. He hopes his morning cup will cure the tiredness from his eyes. “Last night was crazy at work,” he comments idly to Nami.

“Same,” Nami assents, giving Chopper a thankful smile when he sets down a plate of their breakfast sweets.  She gracefully picks up the eclair, taking a small bite and chewing thoughtfully as she brags, “Made fat tips, though.  Like three hundred bucks.”

“That’s a good night,” Sanji says happily, nodding in acknowledgement. He smiles warmly at her. “Excited for your day off? What are you plans tonight?” 

“Duh, I’m excited!” Nami responds enthusiastically, taking another bite.  “Once Usopp’s off, he’s driving me to Sedona.”

“Whoa, that’s how you do it?” Chopper’s amazed voice resounds in the background. “That’s so easy!”

“Told ya!” Usopp laughs mirthfully, nudging Chopper in the side. “Now you try!” 

Sanji croons amidst their latte art session in the background. “Sedona, huh? That’s a romantic trip,” he says teasingly, trying to get her to bite. “Things are going well?” 

“Oh, please,” Nami retorts with a laugh, waving a dismissive hand, gold bracelets jingling with the motion.  “You know I don’t like driving long distances. He’s just dumb enough to do it for me.”

“Hey!”

Sanji laughs genuinely, joining in on the jokes at Usopp’s expense. He says menacingly, the smallest hint of jest underlying his tone. “You’re gonna take her all the way to Sedona on that shitty minibike?”

Usopp puffs his chest proudly. “For your information, Sanji, I’m driving her Mini. You shouldn’t have doubted me.”

“Yeah. Sounds like you got it all figured out,” Sanji retorts dryly, putting a hand to his forehead. He turns back to Nami and murmurs. “Just make sure he doesn’t take you hiking up those rocks. He’ll probably fall and die. I don’t want you to be forced to witness that.”

“Hey! I’m right here!”

“Trust me, I don’t go hiking without you or Luffy,” Nami says with a snort as she takes a sip from her latte.  “Even if you got bit by a rattlesnake, I know you’d survive to protect me.” She twists in her seat, smirking at the two men behind the counter.  “Both of  _ you _ would just die.”

“ _ Hey _ !” Usopp protests once again, this time in unison with Chopper. “How do you expect me to survive  _ poison _ ?!”

“Zoro wouldn’t save me either,” Nami says with a heavy sigh, disappointment in her tone. “He’d be too busy pissing on an ant pile.” 

“Zoro would save you,” Chopper disagrees defensively.  “He saved me from drowning in a stream that one time.”

“Yeah, he could save you,” Sanji agrees, face twisting into a devilish smirk, leaning into Nami’s space. “If he doesn’t get lost first.” 

Nami cackles with delight, nodding her head vigorously in agreement.  “Oh! And Law!” she pipes in, cheeks rosy from laughter. “He’d probably  _ watch _ me die.”

Sanji slams the table hard with his palm as Chopper and Usopp roar with laughter behind them. 

“He’d be taking  _ notes!” _ Usopp manages to croak out through his tears. He pretends to write on a notepad, face scrunched to mimic Law’s normal scowl and speaks in a low voice,  “‘Sunday afternoon, two p.m. The victim has fallen to her death. I can now harvest her organs.’”

They all fall into another bout of hysteria. Nami wipes the tears from her eyes, snowballing the joke further, “‘It’s been two years and Zoro still doesn’t know I’m a zombie.  Mission successful.’”

Through his laughter, Sanji spots the topic of their jokes approaching the cafe from outside. Leaning back in his seat, he warns everyone with a nod in the man’s direction, “Speaking of the walking dead.”

Nami leans over, eyebrows raising as she watches the man cross the parking lot.  “He’s always alone,” she observes with curiosity. “Why aren’t they ever together?”

Sanji simply shrugs to her as the door opens and chimes, all of them settled and on better behavior upon his entrance. He looks slightly perturbed by the four sets of eyes on him as acoustic music plays calmly over the speakers.

“Yo!” Usopp greets from behind the counter, already tapping on the register and nodding as Law approaches.  “Large black coffee?”

“Yes,” Law confirms, pulling out his debit card and hovering it over the machine. 

“Nothing for Zoro?” Chopper asks cheerfully, motioning to the case of donuts and breakfast sandwiches.

“No.”

Nami exchanges a glance with Sanji and calls over in a sweet voice, “Is he sleeping in? That lazy bum!”

Law swipes his card and tucks it back into his wallet before looking over at her.  “I don’t know where he is.”

Sanji locks his gaze with Nami as she turns to him with bulging, incredulous eyes. He keeps his stare forward out the window, not wanting to react in any obvious way regarding Zoro while Law’s around. He hates that he has to walk on eggshells around him at this point but he’s got no alternative idea on how to exist around the boyfriend of the man he’s jerking off to almost every night. 

“Good seeing you,” Usopp offers awkwardly as he passes the coffee to Law’s tattooed hand.  “Wanna hang around? We’re just shooting the shit.”

“No, thanks,” Law declines with polite smile.  He nods to the group and swiftly makes his exit, disappearing just as quickly as he had appeared.

The moment the door closes, Nami whirls around in her seat, giving Usopp a glare.  “Why did you invite him to stay? What if he said yes?”

“Then he would’ve stayed?” Usopp asks bewildered with a shrug.  “I don’t know! I panicked!”

“He’s not so bad,” Chopper defends the man. “He’s actually pretty cool. I’ve been hanging a lot with him and Luffy.” 

“So have we.”  Usopp gestures between himself and Nami.  “We go to his place to smoke with Luffy.”

“He’s not the worst,” Nami agrees exasperatedly, tapping her fingers impatiently on the back of the chair.  “But we can’t gossip when he’s around!” She twists back to Sanji, pointing an accusatory finger in his direction.  “And what the hell was that? You crawled into yourself when he showed up.”

Sanji chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck. “Haven’t spent as much time with him as you guys. Guess I’m not used to him yet.”

“You spend all your time with Zoro,” Usopp teases from behind the counter.

Sanji twists back to Usopp at the front counter, pointing indignantly. “Correction. Zoro spends all his time with  _ me _ . Not like I want him at the bar.”

“Zoro spends all his time avoiding Law,” Nami muses quietly, eyes studying the front window.  “Did you hear him say he doesn’t know where Zoro is?” She gestures around the cafe. “All of his favorite people are here but he’s not.”

“Oh.” Chopper says in a low voice, a hint of concern in his tone.  “You’re right.”

“He probably stumbled into a patch of cactus and can’t get out,” Sanji jokes dismissively. “Not like it hasn’t happened before.” 

“Oh dude I forgot about that!” Usopp says, cackling loudly. Sighing in nostalgia, he reflects, “He was so wasted. Ah, good times.”

“I need more girl friends,” Nami states severely, glancing between the two men.  “You boys don’t take anything seriously.  We have a soap opera unfolding right before our eyes **.** ” 

“You’re really worried, aren’t you Nams?” Sanji asks gently.

“No, Sanji. She referred to their issues as a soap opera. This is just entertainment for her,” Usopp says dully in the background, waving his open hand. 

“I am worried!” Nami contradicts, voice shrilling.  “But yes, I am also entertained!”

“I don’t know if I can take Nami seriously,” Chopper says with a confused expression as he wipes down the counters.  “But I’m actually worried. I never see Zoro.”

“Not missing out on much, Chops. Bad influence, I keep saying,” Sanji says with a shrug before taking a slow sip from the remainder of his coffee. It’s not untrue. He’s certainly been turning his world upside down in some not-so pleasant ways. “Drinking a lot. More than usual, I’d say.” 

“Sanji!” Nami announces suddenly, placing her palms on the table.  “You spend the most time with him so you need to figure out what’s going on.”

Fingers drumming along the ceramic of his mug, Sanji’s lips thin slightly. “I don’t get shit out of him. He just annoys me at the bar --” A hard prod to his chest and he meets her eyes with a helpless smile. “Okay. I’ll give it a shot for you, Nams.” 

 

* * *

  
  


The skyline of rocky mountains and red canyons speckles fading hues of oranges, pinks, and yellows as the sun sets on the weary day.  Zoro stands in the driveway, eyes glued to the breathtaking view of darkness capturing the expansive desert one passing minute at a time.  He’s seen some beautiful sunsets during his time in the Navy -- in various foreign lands, on other continents, floating in the middle of endless ocean.  Not a single sight has been able to beat the vast desert being swallowed whole as the sun bids farewell, the flaming red rocks and sands snuffed out for a quiet night.

Sighing heavily, Zoro finally tears his eyes away from the spectacle of dusk to study the bungalow looming behind him.  Behind the foreboding door rests his fate, a major change in his life hinging on one extremely necessary conversation. He’d spent the afternoon wandering around the red rocks at the edge of town, close to their childhood camping site.  The dusty crimson peaks helped calm the spinning of his mind, providing the clarity needed to steer him in the right direction. The last six months have been so full of change that he’d completely lost himself in the magnitude of it all.  He didn’t even allow his mind to wander to thoughts of a certain old friend of his -- refusing to approach that topic until he’s sorted things out on the homefront. The injury to his eye, the discharge from the Navy, being thrust into his casual relationship full-time and forced to take it more seriously when Law offered to move out West -- all that shit has added up to become a suffocating burden.  A burden that exists regardless of any tension between him and Sanji. And as shitty as his decision makes him feel, he knows that he needs to make it right for them both.

He needs out.

Zoro crosses the short lawn and jogs up the walkway to let himself into the house.  Law doesn’t even look up from his seat in the recliner, eyes turned downward to his phone as the evening news drones on the television.  Zoro sets his keys on the bar and plops onto the couch, studying his partner for a beat before reaching forward to the remote and muting the volume.

“I was listening to that,” Law states smoothly, not bothering to lift his head to fully acknowledge Zoro.

“Need to talk,” Zoro responds calmly, resting his elbows on his knees as he stares intensely at the man in the chair.

This time Law looks up, face blank as his grey eyes take in Zoro’s somber expression.  He crosses his legs and sighs, nodding for Zoro to proceed.

Sucking in a deep breath, Zoro sturdies his resolve and begins in a calm tone, “It’s about us.”  He pauses, raising a hand to rub the back of his neck. “Our relationship and shit. I don’t think --”

“No,” Law cuts him off immediately, lifting his palm to halt the conversation.

Taken aback, Zoro raises an eyebrow as he straightens his posture.  Law’s shoulders are tense, his steely stare heavy with callousness. Clearing his throat, Zoro crosses his arms and asks dumbly, “No?”

“No, we can’t talk.”

“The fuck?” Zoro retorts incredulously, frustration building in his chest.  He spent the entire goddamn day figuring out what he needs to say. Irritated at Law’s dismissal, Zoro snarls contemptuously, “I got something to say.”

“I don’t want to hear it,” Law responds evenly, picking up his phone from the arm of the recliner and tucking it into the pocket of his hoodie.  “Not right now, not tonight. I have to work early and don’t have time for this.”

“Bullshit,” Zoro argues with bite in his voice, a unsettling fury heating his skin.  It’s not Law’s place to dictate when he can and can’t express himself. And this is fucking important.  Hell, it should’ve happened a long time ago -- before they even moved to Arizona.

“Just stop talking, I really don’t care,” Law commands with a sigh, eyes turned to the news still playing silently in the background.  An apathetic attitude permeates from his bored expression, as if Zoro’s simply trying to bug him with conversation about sports or some other lighthearted shit.  

Zoro gapes at his partner, utterly stunned his reaction.  Grasping for any form of control, he threateningly points at a finger in Law’s direction, speaking harshly through clenched teeth, “You can’t decide --”

Law stands abruptly, drifting out of the living space and heading towards the hall.  He stalls for a second, looking over his shoulder to shoot Zoro an empty stare, indifference dripping from his voice as he dismisses, “Go out.  Go to the bar. Do something else. I don’t want to hear it.”

Without another word, Law floats down the hall and out of sight, the latch of their bedroom door sounding behind him.  Zoro remains seated on the couch, chest heaving with rage at the dissolution of their conversation. There was nothing but boredom and disinterest seeping from the man who just thwarted Zoro’s attempts at an honest and open discussion.  He just spent all day figuring out the right way to say this shit only to be dismissed and disrespected callously.

It pisses him the fuck off.  

Unable to stay another second in the house, Zoro stands and strides out the front door, stopping only to grab his truck keys.  If Law wants to continue living in his own world where people don’t talk about their shit then fine. Let him. At least Zoro can say he tried to give a fuck about the man’s feelings.  He wrenches open the door to his truck, sliding into the seat and revving the engine. The burden no longer rests on his shoulders.

Whipping through the empty roads of his hometown, he makes it to the parking lot of the liquor store within minutes of closing.  Stupid Sunday hours. He storms down the aisles, passing the rum and whiskey by completely in favor of grabbing a bottle of tequila.  Need the strong stuff tonight. He slams crumpled bills on the counter, waving off the cashier’s attempts to give him change, hand already twisting off the cap off the bottle when he steps back outside.  Once he’s in the seat of his truck, he takes a long pull of liquor, letting the burn pacify his bitter resentment. Law’s dickish behavior, his own fucking stupidity in letting things linger, the quiet whispers of guilt for allowing the man to move out here.  It’s all bubbling up within him. His attempts to be a man and set the record straight were just obstructed by Law’s detachment, leaving Zoro pent-up and frustrated, unsure of what else he can do. 

With a heavy exhale, he studies the tequila bottle in his lap.  First order of business is getting the truck somewhere he wants to be before he’s too drunk to drive.  Then he can start pouring back the liquor. Zoro’s eyes shift to the clock on the dash. Zeff’s closes in about an hour.  Just enough time to drive over there, get through this bottle, and then stumble in for more. After everything that’s happened today, he could use the escape.  He starts the engine and shifts the truck into gear, backing out of his parking space. 

His last remaining customers are out the door and Sanji is just picking up their empty glasses now, frowning as he realizes Zoro won’t be stopping by before closing time. It's for the better. About time to lock up regardless. He likely won’t be getting anyone else at this hour and he’s not in the mood to entertain any other late night company. He knows he’s not supposed to feel disappointed anymore but self-awareness and self-control are two completely separate matters. Zoro’s little visits stopped becoming appropriate the moment Sanji began to become attracted to him and especially when he acted on those feelings, both in his company and in the privacy of his bedroom. 

He’s almost kind of glad for Law’s apparent intervention. That way Sanji doesn’t have to feel tempted when they’re alone together in the bar. He does wonder how he’s going to follow through on Nami’s request to pry information out of Zoro regarding his relationship troubles, the bar being the best place for getting the man to open up. He’ll have to catch him alone sometime during a group get-together. 

Striding towards the front, Sanji shuts off the neon sign and locks the door, ignoring a lumbering figure in the corner of his vision from the window. His back is maybe three steps from the door when he hears loud knocking behind him. Groaning under his breath and turning around, he unlocks and opens the door to let the man know he’s closed, pausing when he sees Zoro standing before him. Looking more disheveled than usual, which says a lot. 

Sanji glares at him hard, wrinkling his nose. Can smell the booze off him. Strongly. “I’m closing up, you annoying bastard.” 

“Don’t care.  Need a drink.”  Zoro pushes past Sanji into the bar, strolling to his normal stool and taking a seat.  He twists to study Sanji’s miffed expression, grinning in amusement as he taps the counter.  “Been a few days.”

Sanji studies Zoro well after relocking the front door. He can already tell from his sloppier than usual motions that he’s got a good buzz going. Which means he’s got an inhuman amount of alcohol currently pumping through him. Something’s definitely up. He hopes he didn’t drive  here like that, the past considered. Even though he should kick him into his Jeep and drive him home -- make it a sane night, go home or go for a drive after, keep his nose out of Zoro’s business -- Sanji realizes that a wasted Zoro is the rare opportunity he needs to squeeze some information or god forbid actual  _ feelings _ out of the man. He’s only respecting Nami’s request, after all. And that’s a request he truly can’t refuse.

Sighing loudly and pulling up a glass, Sanji fills it to Zoro’s usual standards, shaking his head as he watches the amber liquid pour from the spout. “What’d you do, drink all fucking day to make up for a couple sober nights?”

“Somethin’ like that,” Zoro responds with a grin, tossing back half of the glass of whiskey in a single gulp.  He stares at the liquor in his hand and then shifts his gaze to Sanji. Nodding at the bottles along the bar, he requests, “Take a shot with me.  Like old times.”

Sanji stares tentatively at Zoro, unsure if drinking with the man tonight is a sound idea. No, he’s  _ dead _ certain it’s a bad one. He perches his hands on the edge of the bartop and drums his fingers along the wood in contemplation. Narrowing his eyes as he recognizes he can use this to his advantage, he replies, “Fine.  _ If _ you tell me what’s got you flying off the rails tonight.” 

Zoro frowns slightly at the proposal.  The whole point of getting drunk and coming to the bar is to get all that shit off of his mind.  Weighing his options, an idea sprouts. “Wanna play games?” he asks with a snicker, gesturing to the pool table tucked in the corner.  “Trade ya information for shots and pool wins.”

Confident in his skills at the game, Sanji sticks out an open hand to shake. “Deal.” His body heats up as Zoro’s warm grip envelops his hand with electrifying strength. This is definitely a bad idea, he already knows. Releasing the hold, he smugly taunts, “You’re going to be spilling your guts to me by the end of this, greenie.” His eyes flutter to the pool table ahead of him. “You’ll get your ass handed to you over there.” 

“In your dreams, shithead,” Zoro returns with a smirk, a competitive spark lighting up his mood.  Still wanting Sanji to take a shot with him and start their night, he gestures to the bottles again.  “Four jobs denied me this weekend. Now grab us shots.”

Sanji lines up two shot glasses and fills them with what he knows Zoro’s in the mood for: Jose Cuervo. “ _ Four _ jobs?” he inquires incredulously. “What’d you do, shit in their morning coffee?” Lifting his shot glass with a playful gleam in his eye, Sanji motions for Zoro to cheers. 

Clinking his glass against Sanji’s, Zoro tosses back the tequila, happy that his old friend remembered his favorite brand.  He chases the shot with a swing of whiskey, letting out a low sigh once the glass has parted his lips. “Overqualified,” he explains with a simple shrug. “Too much military.”

After the tequila leaves an unsettling feeling in his stomach, Sanji fixes himself a gin and tonic as he listens to Zoro’s explanation. He nods, sympathetic. “Especially in this area. So many morons around here for cheap hire.” Grabbing the empty shot glasses and his drink, Sanji nods to the pool table. “Let’s get started. Hope you’re ready for me to annihilate you.”

As Sanji takes a step to leave the bar, Zoro juts out a hand to grip him by the arm.  “Grab the whiskey,” he orders with a sly grin, letting his hold linger. “Need a drunk handicap so you won’t feel so bad when I whip your ass.”

Zoro’s grip has Sanji’s arm riddled with gooseflesh. He gives his friend a charged look and smirks competitively, “You’re so on.” He retreats from Zoro’s hand to retrieve the whiskey, skin still wired from the touch. Damn. This is  _ beyond  _ a bad idea. But he’s far-gone on the momentum of a good time -- no going back now. Placing the whiskey on the bartop and motioning for Zoro to take it over to the pool table, Sanji throws back most of his drink and makes another one, strong on the gin this time. He walks over with the shot glasses in his other hand and places them by the whiskey where Zoro has rested it on the nearby poker table. He taunts as he lifts up the pool rack. “You good to break or will there be a hole in my dad’s wall?”

Flexing his arm, Zoro pats his bicep and jokes, “Think I can keep it under control.”

Sanji shakes his head with a laugh as he organizes the rack with balls. “You are such a douche.”

“And you’re an asshole,” Zoro retorts as he lines up the cue call, nodding at Sanji to remove the rack.  Squeezing his bad eye closed, he takes a second to line up his shot and then breaks the formation with a loud crack, a pleased grin crossing his lips when two solid balls sink in the pockets.  Giving his friend a wide grin, he motions his stick to the table, “Got your favorite too. Solids for me.”

Sanji lips curve downward in annoyance. “Fuck you. You’re a solid piece of shit.” 

“Solid shit, huh?” Zoro responds with amusement as he takes another shot, frowning when he barely misses the pocket.  Stepping away from the table, he teasingly looks behind Sanji’s back and taunts, “Tightass like you probably shits diamonds.”

As Sanji chalks his pool stick and bends over the table to take his shot, he looks behind him at Zoro’s comment in amused repulsion. He notices Zoro’s eyes are low, causing him to raise a brow as he responds smoothly, “I have to admit, that was creative for a dumbass like you. Disgusting, but creative. Looks like you’re taking my advice from the other week.” He bends over further, unnecessarily. He was already perfectly in line with his shot. 

Catching himself captivated by the sight before him, Zoro blinks a couple times and moves to fill his glass at the table, asking as he listens to Sanji take his shot, “What advice?”

“Your insult game was shit. I told you to step it up,” Sanji reminds as he flawlessly hits a stripe into the corner pocket. “Maybe you  _ gain _ brain cells when you’re wasted. You’ve always been a bit backwards.” 

Zoro takes a swallow of whiskey, looking at Sanji over the rim of the glass. Lowering his drink, he shakes his head and clarifies, “Nah. Just decided not to hold back.”

Sanji confidently circles the table, hounding for his next shot before finding it and offering Zoro a look, hand to his hip. “When have you ever held back with me? Never not been a dick.” He leans over the table and takes his shot, pocketing his target with ease and sending Zoro a smug expression.

“Plenty of times,” Zoro responds absently, scoping Sanji out as he stands from taking his shot, eyes following his long legs.  Lifting his gaze to meet the self-contented grin, he leans back against a nearby table and crosses his arms, raising an eyebrow as he continues, “Gotta take it easy on you sometimes, pansy.”

Feeling a pleasant buzz starting to stir and excitement in his veins at the charged air between the both of them, Sanji truly can’t help himself. He half rises from where he’s aiming on the table to give Zoro enticing eyes, his voice smooth and inviting, “You never have to take it easy on me.”

Zoro’s skin heats up, mouth going dry at the inviting stare he’s receiving from Sanji.  Though his thoughts are a bit sloshy from his tipsy state, the subtle innuendo of the man’s suggestive comment are not lost on him in the slightest.  One shot, two drinks, and Sanji’s already letting loose in a way that’s incredibly tempting. Compelled for more, Zoro points to the bottle on the table and declares, “Another shot.”

“If I make this, we’ll take a shot and I get to torture you with another question,” Sanji negotiates, watching as Zoro nods and motions for him to continue. Sanji hits the corner of the ball perfectly, leading it on a diagonal path where it sinks into the pocket. He stands with pride, tilting the pool stick onto the table and heading for the booze. He pours them another round of tequila, offering one to Zoro. Zoro’s eyes bear into him and he holds his gaze as they touch glasses and toss the liquor back. Sanji chases with his drink, releasing a heavy sigh as he feels the pleasant burn of an exuberant buzz. He’s feeling great, all previous trepidations gone. He just wants the fun to continue. He aims at the cue ball on the table again while attempting to pry more information out of his friend. “It’s more than the job hunt messing with you. There’s something else going on. Tell me.”

Zoro heaves a disgruntled sigh, frowning into his glass of whiskey.  He was hoping to get away with avoiding this topic but there’s no use hiding it from his friend.  Another gulp of liquor, he enjoys the heat in his throat for a brief moment before answering tersely, “Law.”

His friend’s answer has Sanji flubbing his shot, but he’s not about to admit that openly. “Shit,” he curses, rising and scratching his head. He turns to Zoro, motioning for him to take his turn before stepping to the side and leaning against a nearby stool. He takes a slow sip from his drink, eyes not leaving Zoro’s biceps as the man grips the pool stick. Following up on Zoro’s reply, he asks, “What’s going on with you guys?”

“Shot,” Zoro orders, pointing to the tequila bottle on the table to Sanji’s right.  When he receives a puzzled look, he smirks, leaning to angle his cue and sink in a ball.  Standing again, he chalks the end of his stick and explains teasingly, “That’s another question.”

Sanji shakes his head at him, grimacing as Zoro sinks a ball. “Fuck you, you stingy bastard.” But the man is technically right, to Sanji’s chagrin. He wonders how much this information will be worth when he can’t remember shit tomorrow morning. He pours them round three and they drink them hastily, Sanji wiping his mouth with a cringe. “This better be goddamn worth the hangover tomorrow, you crazy alcoholic.” 

“Wimp,” Zoro admonishes with a snort, setting his shot glass back on the table and shoving Sanji in the arm.  Shaking his head, he returns to analyze his potential shots as he formulates a response to Sanji’s earlier question.  Doesn’t want to reveal too much since he technically doesn’t know what’s going on but he’s not about to hide anything either.  Anger wells within him as he recounts the earlier attempt at a conversation. What a fucking joke that was. Stumped on what else to say, he twists to face his friend and shrugs.  “I got nothin’,” he responds honestly, letting out a bitter laugh. “It’s all fucked up.” He leans past Sanji to grab his whiskey, taking another strong drink and gently shaking the empty glass.  “Gonna drink til it makes sense, though.”

Sanji hums thoughtfully, hair raising after Zoro leans away from his personal space. He mulls over the words, many questions arising from his friend’s response. He would ask them, but his stomach is still churning a bit from taking two shots in a row. He’d better stick to his gin and tonic for the next minute or so. Instead, he sticks to a taunt to smooth the mood. “Maybe he’s backpedaling because he didn’t realize how far your crap taste goes,” he says, tapping his temple to indicate Zoro’s new eyewear. “Shitty glasses.”

“Maybe you’re both a couple of pricks,” Zoro mutters as he lines up a shot and banks another ball.  

“Maybe I should date him, then,” Sanji jokes, eyeing his depleted drink with a frown. “At least we have hating you in common.” 

“Don’t think two bottoms would work so good,” Zoro retorts with a shake of his head, leaning against his pool cue and staring at Sanji with a grin.  He looks the man over for a quiet second before adding, “You’d hate him more than you hate me.”

Sanji gawks slightly at Zoro’s comments. He raises a firm hand. “First of all, you don’t know shit about my sex life. Second, there’s no one I hate more than you.” Sanji shakes the ice in his glass, pointing back to the bar. “Third, want anything from the bar, ‘cause I’m due for a refill. And a smoke.”

“Ice,” Zoro answers, nodding at the melting puddle in his rocks glass.  He watches Sanji grab both their drinks and make his way to the bar, eyes lingering a little too long on his stroll.  Intrigued by the man’s earlier words, Zoro tears his eyes away to study the pool table again, commenting nonchalantly, “You sayin’ you’re not a bottom?”

Striding back over with a full drink, a cup of ice, his cigarettes and an ashtray in hand, Sanji gives Zoro a peculiar look. He sets the ice down on the edge of the pool table in front of Zoro, tilting slightly into his space as he leans on the wood. “You wanna start asking me questions now? Shot.” 

Looking over his shoulder, Zoro drifts closer to Sanji’s face, giving him a feral grin.  He stares into the man’s wide eyes for a weighty second before darting his gaze to the waiting booze on the table and agreeing, “Fine.  Pour.”

Sanji keeps his eyes on Zoro for a competitive beat longer, before pouring them another round of tequila. They toss it back and Sanji lights up a cigarette, dragging out his response as he exhales through the side of his mouth. “I’ll give you that one,” he remarks with a slow sigh. His lips curve upward into a smirk as he finally turns his eyes back onto Zoro. “You’re not  _ wrong _ .” He relishes in how the other man’s eyes immediately mist over. Weeks of doubting Zoro’s attraction to him are wiped clean in one stroke from that single look of raw hunger.

Zoro feels a familiar flutter deep in his gut, unable to tear his eyes from Sanji’s teasing face.  Keeping their stares connected, he responds brusquely, “Law ain’t the one you want, then.” With a suggestive eyebrow raise, he turns back to the pool table and finally takes his shot, cursing under his breath when his solid ball successfully sinks but also knocks in a stripe with it.  Grunting in aggravation, Zoro leans his cue against the wall and motions to the bathroom, “Gotta piss.”

Sanji lets Zoro’s suggestive words linger pleasantly in the room after the man disappears into the washroom, taking his shots on the table as he mulls over the reality of what’s happening. Zoro is openly flirting with him tonight, no punches being held back this time. And he’s throwing them back just as strong. He knows it’s wrong to be reciprocating -- it’s clearly evident Zoro’s relationship is going through a bit of a bump in the road and the man is using his company as an outlet. And yet, he knows this is all in good fun. He doesn’t expect anything to actually come of it. Zoro may be an overconfident cocktease but at his core he’s honorable -- loyal. He doesn’t expect checkmate tonight, just movements on the board, harmless fun. Friends drinking together and having a good time, maintaining boundaries. He won’t let himself succumb either. Refuses to be the cause of heartbreak for Law, a pain all too familiar. Alone in his head, Sanji also realizes how drunk he’s rapidly becoming. Not that it’s surprising with the sheer amount of alcohol he’s tossing back in such a short amount of time. On a near-empty stomach no less. Setting himself up for a mighty hangover tomorrow.

By the time Zoro gets back, Sanji has sunk a couple stripes and it’s Zoro’s turn now. The table is clearing up, they’re left with only a few more balls to sink. Sanji has prepared a two more shots of tequila for them as Zoro steps back up to the table. At the man’s curious look, Sanji clarifies with a question, “What doesn’t make sense about your relationship? Seemed happy to me when you guys arrived.” 

Zoro swiftly pours back the waiting shot, needing the liquor to fuel the answer to Sanji’s question.  His mind is starting to muddle now due his intoxicated state, rendering him unable to reply with any form of filter.  Not that he normally has a strong one -- but usually there’s a little bit of editing in there somewhere. Frustrated that the topic of his relationship continues to be brought up, Zoro rolls his eyes and notices Sanji’s stance.  He’s leaning against his pool cue nonchalantly, stare focused intently on him for an answer. Lifting his eyes to meet Sanji’s again, he opens his mouth to reply but instead kicks the stick out from beneath his weight.

“Hey! What the fuck!” Sanji yells, using the edge of the pool table to sturdy himself. His vision grows blurry and he takes longer to recover in his sluggish state. Picking up his stick, he angrily jabs Zoro with the butt end of it. “You’re just avoiding the question you chicken shit!” 

“Quit asking dumb questions,” Zoro snaps back, grabbing his own cue from the wall and using it to hit Sanji in the shin.  He dodges a swift counterattack, laughing at the dirty look he receives as a result. “Gotta be quicker, blondie.”

“I’ll fucking skewer your nuts, you prick,” Sanji threatens with a devilish smirk, lunging with his stick to try and hit Zoro in the balls. Zoro manages to dodge and weave his vicious attacks, so Sanji surprises him with a kick to his thigh. As his friend buckles slightly, Sanji looms in and grabs him by the shirt, taunting, “Can’t answer one goddamn question, huh?”

Zoro glances down at Sanji’s hold on his shirt and raises his eyes again, lifting an eyebrow and giving him a cocky grin.  Dropping his cue on the floor with a clatter, he snatches the front of Sanji’s own tee in a strong hold and uses his strength to flip their positions, spinning the man’s limber form around and pinning him against the side of the pool table.  The balls rattle out of position behind Sanji’s back as Zoro leans forward, lips curling into a curious smirk. Chest heaving inexplicably as his skin heats with the sudden close contact, he uses a foot to spread Sanji’s stance, looming between his legs as he implores tantalizingly, “Why d’you wanna know so bad?” 

Shifting his hips slightly, Sanji has to scrounge together every ounce of willpower he still has left to keep an erection at bay. In his vision, Sanji notices the lightbulb above flickering madly before resuming full luminance. His hand still fisted in Zoro’s shirt, he swallows thickly and attempts to push the man off of him, but he’s immoveable. Zoro’s lower body is between his legs, right where he fucking wants him. This is agonizing. Maybe if he were one step closer to completely wasted he’d be grinding full on. But instead he reels Zoro closer by his shirt and remarks, “Too hard to believe I actually give a shit? You’re clearly a wreck over this. What the fuck is a bartender for if not listening to his customer’s bullshit?”

Zoro studies Sanji for a beat before releasing the hold on his shirt, instead allowing his hand to slide down his slender body and rest on the side of the pool table next to his thigh.  Tapping his fingers against the wood, he sighs irritably and gives his friend a glare. Seems he can’t get out of answering this one. “Don’t really wanna talk about it,” he admits quietly, glancing over his shoulder to the bottle of whiskey still perched on the poker table.  He turns back to Sanji, giving him begging glance. “Another question?”

Sanji stares for a beat before letting Zoro off the hook with a nod. He clumsily rises from the table, head swimming from their close contact and the alcohol coursing through him. Knocking into a ball and sending it slowly rolling, it prompts him to turn around and look at the state of their table. “Yeah. I got a question. Why’d you fuck up our game, klutz?” 

Zoro scoffs at the comment, leaning down to pick up his cue from the ground and pointing it accusingly at Sanji.  “You fucked it up, jackass. Shouldn’t’ve grabbed me.”

“That doesn’t mean you slam me into the table!” Sanji shouts, hand raised to the ceiling. “You’re such a moron,” he insults with a sigh, lighting up a fresh cigarette with a cupped hand. Murmuring around it, he asks, “Should we set up another game?” 

Shrugging, Zoro tilts his head back to the poker table where the shot glasses and liquor rest, “Can if you want.  Need a shot first. Got a question.”

Taking a long drag, Sanji studies Zoro’s form curiously. “I’ll have to beat your ass at pool another time. Don’t wanna play if you’re just gonna keep sabotaging.” Before Zoro can respond, Sanji puts up his hand. “Hold that thought. I need a piss. Ask your question after.” 

Zoro watches as Sanji strides across the bar to the bathrooms tucked away in the back, smirking when the man bumps into a stool jutting out near the entrance.  Shaking his head, he re-positions their cues on the rack hanging from the wall and then takes a seat at the poker table, pouring two full shots for when his friend returns.  He rubs his bleary eyes, blurrier than normal from his drunken haze. Feels good to be getting sloshed with Sanji. He’s enjoying seeing this side of his friend. Glancing to his lap, he leans back in his chair and adjusts himself.  Seems he’s enjoying other parts of their evening, too. Can’t help it.

Filling his glass of whiskey as well, he takes another drink as he waits, wondering for a split second how they’re going to make it home.  He digs his phone out of his pocket, navigating the screen haphazardly to their group Facebook chat and typing best he can through his stupor.

  
  


**Zoro Roronoa:** Who gonna be up for a bit

**Luffy Macaco:** Me

**Usopp King** : Me

**Nami Katt:** Ew, not me.

**Tony Chopper:** Probably another couple hours! Why?

  
  


Zoro tucks the phone back into his pocket and takes another swig from his glass. Good.  They have options.

  
  


**Luffy Macaco:** Why?

**Luffy Macaco:** Zoro! Why!! Is something fun happening?

**Luffy Macaco:** ZOOOROOOO!! Why?!

  
  


Staring down at his hyperactive phone with a grimace, Sanji shouts to Zoro on his way over, stumbling again around a stool. “What the hell did you do, Zoro? Luffy won’t shut the fuck up!” 

“Shaddup,” Zoro slurs, motioning for Sanji to sit in the seat near him at the poker table.  He pushes the shot over to the spot. “Back to my question.”

Sanji plops down heavily into the seat Zoro’s requested, groaning loudly as he tilts his head back and puts an arm to his forehead. “I am too drunk for whatever it is you’re about to ask me,” he complains, rubbing his face with his hand before combing his hair back. 

“Fine,” Zoro retorts with a shrug, reaching over and slamming back Sanji’s shot.  “Gonna ask anyway. Why’re you single?” He gestures the empty shot glass over Sanji’s slumped form.  “‘Sides the obvious.”

Sanji lifts his head at the question and glares at the remark. “Oh fuck you. Why d’you wanna know that?” 

Zoro spins the empty shot glass on the table, keeping his eyes focused on the tiny droplets of leftover liquor moving around the edges in a pattern.  “Probably the same reason you keep asking about me,” he answers honestly, giving Sanji a sidelong glance. Smirking, he shrugs and jokes, “No one wants to date a drunk duck who waddles into furniture.  That it?”

Lighting up another cigarette, Sanji keeps his glare firm on Zoro for his stupid remark. “I really hate you,” he says with the slightest hint of warmth in his tone. Nodding his head and beckoning on with his hand, he leans forward, “Fine, I’ll take the shot.” He fills the shot glass and sucks it back, too wasted at this point to even feel it. “Fuck you for this, by the way. But a’least I’m not scared of answering  _ your _ questions. Wimp.” He takes a large gulp from his drink before sighing and answering raspily, “It’s ‘cuz I work shit hours, ‘cuz everyone’s already fuckin’ taken, ‘cuz I’m miserable as shit. Happy?” He slumps back in his chair and sucks a long drag from his cigarette, not looking at Zoro as he stares off distantly into the wall. Disbelieving even in his drunkenness that he’d laid all of that out in the open. Never told anybody this stuff before. Not even Nami. Just dealt with it silently and waited for things to get better.

Zoro leans back and twists to study Sanji fully, eyebrow cocked as the explanation hangs between them.  Everything his friend just expressed isn’t surprising and while he understands the seriousness of Sanji’s concerns, it’s almost humorous that the answer to his problems is glaringly obvious.  “So,” Zoro starts in an amused tone, crossing his arms over his chest and scratching his chin. “The answer is a gay man who sits in this bar and entertains you for hours to make you forget all your shit.  Seems simple.” 

Sanji glares at Zoro in disbelief. Leaning forward and glancing down, he rests his elbows on his thighs and ruffles his hair, groaning in frustration. Finally, he looks back up to Zoro with a fiery expression. “I got’a fucking question for ya. What the  _ hell’s _ goin’ on here, Zoro?” He points back and forth between himself and the other man. “You’ve got a boyfriend! What’re you  _ doing? _ ” 

Silence passes between them, Zoro’s pulse racing at the Sanji’s biting glare and fierce demand.  It’s a good question -- probably the best one of the night, one he’s been asking himself in the quiet of his mind for a long time.  Reaching out an arm, he grabs the seat of Sanji’s chair and drags him forward with a loud scrape, their knees brushing at the motion.  Unable to formulate a good response in his cloudy head, he chooses instead to grip Sanji by the shoulder and tug him forward, answering the lingering question by sealing their lips together in a desperate kiss.

Too wasted to entertain any lingering sense of morality, Sanji dives into the kiss instantly, heating it up with a moan as he opens his mouth and allows for tongue and teeth to clash. A strong arm snakes around his waist, tugging him forward into Zoro’s lap and bridging any remaining space between them. “Fuck,” he curses urgently on the man’s lips, smoothing his hands up Zoro’s shoulders and the back of his neck. He can hardly believe this is happening but in his haze, consequences be damned, he doesn’t care. This feels too amazing, too surreal, too cathartic for him to even consider giving a shit. Hips moving on impulse, he grinds himself against Zoro, feeling both of their erections through their pants brushing together blissfully. 

A low grunt is pulled from deep within Zoro’s chest at the euphoric feeling of Sanji grinding down into him, igniting him to grip a hand tightly on the hips grooving into his, forcing their bucking to slow.  Feels too damn good. He deepens their kiss, tasting every ounce he can until the fog clears and he grasps their position through his drunken stupor. A sad ache thumps in his chest with the realization and slowly he pulls out of the kiss, nipping Sanji’s lips lightly as they separate.  He gazes into the wide eyes studying him, a sense of shame ensnaring him for what’s just occurred. He needs to sort his shit out and quick. Sighing softly, he nudges Sanji awkwardly and says, “We’re drunk.” A pause. “Need to go home.”

Zoro’s words hit Sanji hard. He shifts back, nearly falling on his ass as he attempts to sit down on his chair. “That all we are? Drunk?” he asks softly after he’s adjusted. His eyes fleet back up to meet Zoro’s coal blackness.  “Giving me a different idea. Past couple’a weeks.”

Rubbing his tired eyes, the hours of drinking prevents Zoro from organizing his messy thoughts and emotions.  The day has been such a roller coaster of surprises, he can barely believe it was just this morning that he realized he needed to end things with Law.  And now here he is in the position he wants to be in but it’s unfair to Sanji while he’s still technically with his partner. And certainly unfair to Law, despite the fact that Zoro had already tried to break it off.  Aggravated by the circumstances, Zoro mutters under his breath, “Fuck.” Standing from the table, he gives Sanji a helpless look, unable to give him a proper answer until he’s sober-minded and resolved his problems at home.  “It’s just…,” he trails off quietly, raising a hand to rub the back of his neck as he finishes his thought, “Law.”

Sanji stares coldly at the floor, doing his best to keep his whirlwind of emotions in check. “Find us a ride home,” he instructs softly, standing up and stumbling around the bar to get it at least somewhat presentable for tomorrow. He feels angry and disappointed and ashamed and he can’t bear to interact with Zoro a second longer than necessary. He isn’t proud of how they’ve let the night spiral out of control, knowing that the regret will run even deeper tomorrow when his senses are better intact. Not to mention the hurt. He wants this aching feeling to disappear. How stupid was he, believing for even a fleeting moment that Zoro might choose him over Law. How selfish. He can only hope he’s had enough to drink tonight to forget everything in the morning.

Zoro tugs his phone from his pocket, shaking his head at the idiocy that has occurred in the group chat since his last message.  Typing slowly, he distracts himself with crafting his message to their friends, a heaviness bearing down on his shoulders with everything his stupidity has caused.  

 

**Luffy Macaco:** What the heck!!! I wanna know what’s going on!

**Luffy Macaco:** Zoroooooo

**Nami Katt:** Shut up! I’m trying to go to sleep.

**Luffy Macaco:** Sorry Nami.

**Zoro Roronoa:** Can someone come get me and Sanji? Too drunk.

**Luffy Macaco:** Party!! Me and Usopp will!

**Usopp King:** Where you at? Zeff’s?

**Zoro Roronoa:** Yes. No party.

**Luffy Macaco:** Aw man!

**Usopp King:** Be there in 10 but you owe me Taco Bell

**Luffy Macaco:** Woohoo!! Tacos!!

 

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We recognize this chapter is a little intense emotionally but promise there's more to come! Thank you for your continued feedback and support. We love every comment we receive. We're hoping for a little more consistency in updates soon.


	8. Chapter 8

 

 

 

Waiting silently on the couch as he listens to the sounds of Law’s morning routine, Zoro yawns and takes a long gulp from his glass of water, staring expectantly at the hall opening.  Six in the morning, fucking early, especially given his long night of drinking. He’d dozed on the couch for a few hours after Usopp dropped him off, blinking awake the moment he heard the familiar sound of Law’s alarm go off from the bedroom.  With the events of last night still swirling in his head, he refuses to wait any longer on this conversation. Should’ve finished what he started yesterday.

Despite the tiredness in his eyes, he’s fully alert and sharp in his mind, adrenaline pumping in anticipation of what he needs to say.  His thoughts wander to the bar, to Sanji, to the charged currents that surrounded them only a few hours ago. The taste of tequila and cigarette smoke are still on his lips.  Even though it all had felt so right, what he did was utterly wrong. Law deserves to know the full truth of it.

Zoro rests his head against the cushion of the couch, peering through the lenses of his glasses as he hears the quiet footsteps of Law trudging his way.  The man appears in the living room and flips the light switch causing Zoro to squint in the illuminated space. Silence stills between them temporarily as they share a weighty stare, Law’s eyes taking in Zoro’s disheveled appearance with muted judgment.  Zoro gazes unflinchingly at the man he’s been close with for these last two years, someone he’d absolutely call a best friend, and finally alleviates himself of the burden that’s been pressing heavily on his chest.

“I don’t want this anymore.”

Law simply sighs as he glances at his watch, questioning irritably, “Can’t this wait?”

“No.” Zoro sits up and gives the man a harsh glare, gesturing to the empty recliner.  “Needs to be done now.”

“Let me text my boss, then,” Law says with a frown, wandering to the chair as he pulls out his phone and taps away on the screen.  Device buzzing in response, he quickly reads his text before tucking it away and gazing at Zoro with an empty stare. “Don’t want this anymore?”

Zoro shakes his head firmly, crossing his arms over his chest.  “Needs to be over.” He pauses, expression softening slightly. “Sorry.”

Law stares at him hard, face blank as an awkward silence passes between them.  He finally nods, leaning back in his chair and crossing his long legs. “I see,” he acknowledges with a hum, reaching a hand up to scratch the scruff on his chin.  “To be honest, that’s a relief.”

Zoro’s eyes widen slightly, surprised by the response.  

“I’ve wanted to have the same conversation,” Law admits quietly, never taking his sharp eyes from Zoro’s.  “Just wasn’t prepared to start it yet. That’s why I didn’t want to talk last night.”

Letting out a long exhale, Zoro leans back on the couch and rests his elbow on the arm, honestly shocked by Law’s admission.  He’d been so consumed with the idea of the man taking the break-up poorly that it hadn’t even crossed his mind that Law might feel the same.

“I’ve enjoyed all the time you’ve been at the bar and not home,” Law continues gently, swinging his foot idly.  A sad expression crosses his features as he lowers his eyes to stare somewhere past Zoro, tilting his head to the side as he explains lowly, “Made it easy to realize this isn’t working out in the slightest. I haven’t been happy.”

“Agreed,” Zoro says with a affirming nod, tracing the folds of the leather with his index finger.  A heaviness weighs over them as he senses Law still has more to express.

“There’s just one problem for me,” Law starts in a somber tone, sucking in an audible breath as he lifts his grey gaze to meet Zoro’s again.  Behind his normally sharp eyes is a storm of emotion. Whatever he’s about to say is obviously important to him, ensnaring Zoro fully as he shifts forward, completely attentive to Law’s words.  “I’ve come to like this town,” Law states matter-of-factly before his voice softens. “And I like your friends. I don’t want to give that up.”

Zoro studies Law’s face, a worried sadness sprouting on his dark features.  He knows how big it is for the man before him to be so open in granting him a small glimpse into his fears.  Law’s always been inexplicably private and extremely guarded in his emotions, especially when it comes to what he actually enjoys.  He’s very protective of the things and people he loves. Zoro hadn’t even considered forcing Law to leave Whiskey Peak or his friends behind.  That decision would always be Law’s alone. Aware of the gravity of his words, Zoro chooses them carefully, giving Law the utmost respect and honesty.

“Stay.  Don’t leave ‘cause of me.  And stay friends with them,” Zoro begins sincerely, clenching a fist and resting it on his thigh.  “Just don’t know if you’ll wanna be around me.” Sighing heavily, he shakes his head. Needs to confess, no matter what.  “I kissed Sanji last night.”

Stare forward, Zoro sturdies himself in preparation for the backlash he knows he deserves.  Even if they both were on the cusp of ending this relationship, it doesn’t make what he did any better.  Law has every right to be upset or angry. However, there’s no hint of disdain on the man’s face. Instead, Law’s lips curl upwards into a curious smirk.

“Am I supposed to be surprised?”

“Huh?”

Law shakes his head, letting out a smooth chuckle.  “Just to clarify, you and Sanji have nothing to do with my feelings or decision,” he precursors with a dismissive wave of his hand.  “But I half-expected that at this point.” He gives Zoro a genuine smile, not allowing him the opportunity to respond. Instead, he reaches forward, resting a slender hand on Zoro’s knee, staring into his eyes with sincerity.  “We’re friends.”

Zoro places his hand over Law’s, wrapping it tightly and giving it a firm squeeze.  A sense of relief washes over him, a calm serenity replacing the heavy weight that’s daunted him for the last day.  This went about the best it could. A subtle ache still rests in his chest, knowing how much he complicated things for them both by not coming to terms with his feelings so much earlier.  Could’ve saved them time and aggravation. Now he needs to get his shit together.

Law pulls his hand from Zoro’s hold, crossing his arms as he rests in the recliner again.  “No hard feelings but I’m kicking you out.”

With a subtle smirk, Zoro nods his head in acceptance.  He clearly expected that. “I’ll figure it out today, don’t worry.”

“Doesn’t have to be that fast,” Law says nonchalantly, a look of concern on his face as he stands from the chair and moves to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water from the fridge.  

“Would rather have a clean break,” Zoro explains with a shrug, lifting a hand to rub his tired eyes.  

“Where do you think you’ll go?  Back to Brook’s?”

“Gonna call my dad.”

“Are you sure you’re Zoro Roronoa?” Law jokes with a grin.  “Just let me know your plans.”

Zoro nods in response, keeping his eyes closed as his thoughts clear.  Feels like he’s about to get his true fresh start in this dusty old town.  It’s only fitting that he resets in his father’s house, where it all began.  No more being weak. He’s gonna sort through his shit once and for all.

 

* * *

 

Contrary to his wishes, Sanji does not wake up with a clean slate of the events from last night. Nope. From the moment he’s conscious, his head is plenty clear as well as painfully throbbing against his pillow. He breathes in slowly through his nose, shifting in bed as he licks over dry lips, swearing he’s picking up the taste of whiskey. The kiss.

Like a bolt’s shot through him, Sanji jumps up in a sitting position, immediately regretting the hasty movement when his skull pounds back with sharp, painful retribution. He clutches his forehead tightly with a groan until the ache clears enough for him to properly think. He listens to birds singing quietly outside, cracking his eyes open to notice it’s only dawn. Never could sleep in even after a late night out drinking. Alcohol fucks with him like that. Damn. His skin’s swollen and aching from it. Head’s a mess. He feels like total shit. Sanji sighs, scratching his head with a subtle smirk. At least he’s not puking into a bucket. Maybe all these nights drinking after hours with Zoro has helped his tolerance in the end.

Images of his drunken kiss with Zoro replay vividly in his mind. He closes his eyes, this time tightly.

_“Shit.”_

Just what did he go and screw up. He knew drinking that much with Zoro was a godawful way to spend the night and here he’d still been pathetic and stupid enough to do it anyway. Even though Zoro had initiated the kiss, he never should have reciprocated. Never should have tempted him. He vaguely remembers questioning the nature of their relationship when Zoro had backed off. An unpleasant shiver of embarrassment and shame travels up his spine, swirls uncomfortably in his gut. It’d been an honest question, one that he still can’t help pondering.

This is definitely a far cry away from childhood friends, whatever’s happening between them. But it can’t go any further. For real this time.

His eyes focus on the half filled glass of water on his nightstand and he reaches over with strain to chug it down, washing the dryness from his mouth, the hint of whiskey disappearing with it. Spanning next for his phone with the powerful desire to send Zoro an apology text, Sanji discovers it buried face down under his pillow. Just when he has his screen set on his conversation history with Zoro, he pauses, sighing heavily and gaining control of his rationale. Carding his fingers through his hair, he lifts a knee and rests his arm on it.

No. Texting Zoro an apology is a bad idea. In fact texting Zoro _at all_ is completely off the table. They have to keep what happened under wraps. Sanji doesn’t know what he’d do if this meant the end of Zoro’s relationship with Law. He already feels like shit for all the flirting, last night being about as out of line as it gets. Even if he couldn’t help it. But it’s precisely because of his lack of control that he needs to start keeping Zoro at arm’s length. He feels immense guilt nearly sinking him back into the mattress, but a stronger craving keeps him up.

Fiddling around in the pocket of his discarded pants hanging off the side of the bed, he finds a pack of cigarettes and pries one out. He checks his door. Already closed. Good. Nami doesn’t like the acrid smell lingering in the house or on the walls -- he doesn’t disagree, however, he keeps a handful of instances saved for when things are especially fucked. Popping the stick into his mouth, Sanji stands, wobbling slightly on his feet as he heads for his bedroom window, grabbing a lighter from the nightstand.

Opening the window quietly, he lights up a much needed morning smoke and rests his elbows on the sill, taking a long puff and releasing it through the screen as he stares at the dawning sun. Normally he enjoys taking in the sight, but in this moment it feels almost like it’s mocking him, like it knows he won’t be able to get back to sleep. His day has begun and he isn’t ready to face a second of it.

He hopes he doesn’t see Zoro at the bar anymore. Be easier that way, with the temptation gone. He figures being the one Zoro pretty much cheated on his boyfriend with, that shouldn’t be a problem in the future. Hell, he probably won’t see much of him outside the bar too. Law will likely be sure of that. He should prepare himself for a confrontation with him. The guy’s sharp and already suspects something. Shouldn’t be surprised if he gets the word somehow that he made out with Zoro.

Tapping his fingers on the sill, Sanji smirks furtively. If he’s really being honest with himself, he’d been one second away from letting him screw him right there on the chair had Zoro not stopped them in time.

Sanji shakes his head in amused disbelief at his own relapse. Rubbing his brow with unease, the cigarette in his mouth burns back quickly as he fills his lungs. A plume spills from his lips and he watches it filter through the screen. The ambience of the birds and wind seems to fade as he focuses on the smoke slowly escaping his bedroom, letting his mind drift to the not so distant past.

He remembers lighting up in his room one miserable morning, watching the smoke dance through the tiny holes of the window screen in a daze, just like this. The day after his last evening with Ace.

Ace has been so many things to him over the years.  A friend. A lover. A mentor. The only person he’s ever truly fallen in love with.

For much of Sanji’s youth through his twenties, he’d hidden himself from his own truth. The flirty ladies’ boy act in high school, the unprovoked aggression with men, the girlfriends, the forced intimacy, the hollow feeling of being broken or unable to feel what real love was like. Breaking up with beautiful, kind, intelligent women -- more than perfect for him, more perfect than he could believe most of the time -- without any kind of solid or acceptable excuse. It’d been the most confusing phase in his life. An identity changing time.

Once he searched more closely inside himself and began asking the right questions, it wasn’t hard to see what was there -- what had always been there. The puzzle pieces finally seemed to fit. But _accepting_ that part of himself was another task entirely. To actually step out and begin living the life that was necessary for him to be whole and authentic, this was where he’d kept himself frozen in limbo. At that time, he was scared to relive his past relationships. Scared to hurt another woman because he didn’t have the capacity to love her the way he should, yet even more terrified to try anything with a man. Honestly scared shitless.

It had always been a touchy subject for him, to the point where he ignored it in favor of pretending. Understandably so, when he thinks about his early years.

He did consider at one point contacting Zoro and reestablishing a friendship to gain some insight, but he felt an immovable wall there. Maybe it was pride or shame or both that held him back. Maybe he also felt awful reconnecting at his own convenience with a friend he’d treated horribly in the past. His relationship with Zoro always had been too complicated for him to wrap his head around. Simultaneously close friends and petty rivals. And now adding attraction to that ever-sprawling list is just fucking perfect.

Ace however had always been well known to comfortably swing both ways. Being Luffy’s older brother, Sanji had known the guy a long time. In high school, Ace was also the older brother to their group. He often touched base with them, brief interactions, but always there when needed for a laugh or advice or just company over a cold beer. He was the guy that drove them home before they got licenses and cars. And Ace always had a tendency to straddle a thin line between joking and flirting with Sanji, something that used to infuriate him. But he’d never truly _known_ Ace during those years. He was always just out of reach, busy with friends his age, floating in and out of their circle.

And yet, somehow after those high school days, Sanji’s inner nature yearned and reached out. At first, it’d been advice that Ace swore to give in confidentiality. Innocent and friendly. Sanji might stop by his old place to chat, or Ace might hang out at the bar after hours. They’d crack open beers, joke, laugh and have serious heart to hearts.

It was easy with Ace, too easy, a natural tranquility like nothing he’d ever felt before. So when Ace proposed to him a solution, suggesting that a good way to find out about his sexuality was to try it out with him, Sanji was three glasses of wine in and all for it. The first time they kissed it was as if his vision went from black and white to full blown color. The next time they kissed he was stone sober and the color exploded into his life just as strong, if not stronger. Everything was crystal clear. Smooth, like gears clicking into place. A vibrancy brighter than the sun. Something he’d always known he’d see deep down. Something he kept himself willfully blind to. He still remembers how relieved he felt after that massive weight was lifted from his shoulders. How his heart became featherlight and soared with newfound freedom.

The revelation that he wasn’t broken. That he could finally relate. And he _could_ love more deeply than he ever imagined possible.

His feelings for Ace evolved quickly and maddeningly with every step in their relationship. Ace taught him so much, all the while Sanji fell further and further and further. The pit felt endless. He had no idea he _had_ such depths. Always been emotional since he was a boy yet guarded with the hard feelings once he lost his mom, as well as where those emotions got him with his peers. Loving Ace had been the feeling he lacked for so long and it became fierce and addictive. Ace always managed to keep things hopelessly casual and experimental, though at one point he did question if the man faltered with that. Of course, that kind of ambiguity is what kept Sanji afloat, kept him swimming for more in a sea of uncertainty.

Eventually, Ace met Marco and told Sanji with remorse that things would have to end between them. Even though he’d understood and respected the decision as they were never formally a couple, it still came to Sanji as a major shock. In his desperation, he’d confessed and was of course rejected as politely as possible, true to Ace's nature. And just like that, the wonderment was over. Ace felt pretty awful about how things ended for a while. Sanji had been sad and angry for longer than he should have. But it was finished. Over.

It wasn’t pleasant being able to feel the other side of love -- true heartbreak. But if not for his relationship with Ace, he would have never grown comfortable with being gay, he would have never come out to his friends and family, he would have never known true love and heartbreak. He would have learned nothing, probably doomed to a vicious cycle of trying over and over again with any unlucky woman in his path, of complete denial, of living a lie. It was a life-changing experience for the better. Realizing this, with time, Sanji did come around eventually with Ace. He gave closure with a sincere thank you and wished him well in his new life with Marco.

It doesn’t mean things aren’t weird between them now. Shit, every time he sees the guy it's like his stomach finds a new way to crawl up into his throat.  Bang a friend and things will always be that level of cringeworthy awkward. That's another lesson he learned.

Supposedly.

That’s why this thing with Zoro is better off ending where it’s at, as much as Sanji still wants it more than he should. But to be the source of Zoro’s drifting away from Law would be a painful way to relive what he went through with Ace. To be the other man, the very cause of devastating heartbreak. The guilt alone has Sanji shuddering and eager to light up a second cigarette.

He does keep wondering what had been going through Zoro's mind last night. And his question will likely remain unanswered, like a page left unturned. He's best to just close the book, stow it away and forget it all. Chalk it up to crossing the wires between Zoro’s problems at home and his own mixed up feelings and desires. Douse those wires with gin, whiskey and an obscene amount of tequila, then watch them fry and catch fire.

Leaving the window open to keep in the cool morning breeze, Sanji crouches over to toss the butt of his cigarette in an empty beer can he finds at the foot of his bed. Must’ve drank it last night before crawling into bed. He barely remembers. Picking up the can and resting it on his nightstand to further use as an ashtray, Sanji lights up another cigarette and sits on his bed to check his phone. He’d answered all his text messages last night before falling asleep apparently. Lots from Nami and Luffy, one from Usopp. Thankfully, he’d been smart enough in his drunken stupor to not mention a damn thing about Zoro. He’s never been so relieved to be a private person at his core. Blushing in embarrassment from a particularly gushy text he’d sent Nami -- barely looks like English, she’ll laugh at him hard for that today after she wakes up -- he goes to his email app. Falling back against the bed and laying on his side, he deletes all the spam from his inbox before coming across the acceptance letter from NYC.

He rereads it until his eyes grow dry and tired and the morning rays become brighter as they bounce off the light color of his walls. Closing his eyes to shut out the light some, Sanji shifts onto his back and ponders.

 

* * *

 

“Is that the last of your things?”

Zoro drops the box to his feet, hand finding the tense muscles on the back of his neck as his father stands in the doorway behind him.

“Yes,” he answers tersely, tossing his keys to the top of the nearby dresser.  A short stack of boxes litter the surrounding space of his childhood bedroom. Same bed and furniture he had until he left for bootcamp.  Same posters on the walls. Relics from the past that he’s surprised his father hasn’t changed.

“Come have a drink with me,” Mihawk commands solemnly, not waiting for an answer as the clack of his dress shoes echo down the hall.

Kicking a box out of his way, Zoro navigates to a duffle bag tucked in the corner, stooping to dig a clean shirt from its depths.  Not that he gives a shit but his dad will. Dropping the sweat-soaked tank to the floor, he quickly tugs on a soft cotton tee. As his head is freed from the neckhole, his gaze is caught on a picture hanging from the wall. 

It’s a shot of their group from a high school party.  Usopp’s pimply face is beaming brightly as he has arms slung over Nami and Luffy’s shoulders.  Chopper’s standing at the edge of the photo next to them, his bright grin speckled with the metal tint of braces.  On the other side of Luffy is his own teenage image, arms crossed and frown aimed at the camera, skin clear of any if its current scars and marks.  The source of his grimace is slung over his shoulder, Sanji’s smug grin making it clear he was up to no good. As soon as the photo was taken they got into a small brawl, only to be separated by hard punches from Nami.  

Zoro shakes his head.  If only his sixteen year old self knew where their relationship would be almost a decade later.  He pauses, tilting his head and staring intensely at the faint spark in his eye, clear even through the dusty film that’s coated the photo.  He takes it back. His sixteen year old self probably wouldn’t have been shocked at all.

Sighing heavily, he turns to exit the bedroom, knowing the longer his dad has to wait the worse this conversation will be.  Endless lectures, harsh lessons, constant judgment -- that’s been his life ever since he came to live with Mihawk as a kid. It’s the only life he’s ever really known and while he admires his father for being such a strong man, he’s made for a pretty shit conversation partner.  Zoro squares his shoulders, a sudden bit of pride welling within him as he emerges into the living room where the shrewd bastard waits. Wouldn’t be the man he is today without those piercing eyes constantly ensuring he learns from his fuck-ups. Zoro plops into the armchair across from his dad, a glass of bourbon already waiting for him.  This is surely going to be another one of those insightful moments.

Zoro reaches for the glass, ignoring the sharp glare turned on him over his father’s glass of wine.  He takes a swig of the liquor and nods in acknowledgment of the quality. Probably even more expensive than it tastes.

“Single barrel.  Eighteen year. Sip it slow,” Mihawk commands with a sharp nod before taking a drink of his wine.  Red. His favorite. They sit in silence for a few minutes, sipping their drinks and staring at the landscape through the massive windows situated along the back wall of the living room.  A sight Zoro’s never taken for granted. Finally, Mihawk clears his throat and asks with a sniff, “So where do we go from here, Zoro?”

Zoro stares into the amber liquid in his glass, grimacing at the sound of his father using his name.  Not a common practice for them. “Won’t stay long,” he says with a resolute nod, raising his eyes to meet the blank gaze Mihawk has turned his way.  “Just need to find a job.”

“Should’ve found one quite some time ago,” Mihawk responds with bite, tipping his glass to take another sip.  

“Ain’t that easy.”

The older man pauses, his lips hesitating at the glass’ edge before he finishes his motion, swallowing with a sigh as he keeps his gaze forward.  His tone softens. “I suppose this has been a big change for you, hasn’t it?”

Zoro can only nod as he stares hard into the amber liquor resting in his grip.  Been a helluva roller coaster. Always knew he was going to enlist. Just thought he’d last longer in the service.  He sighs, raising a hand to ghost along the scar across his eye. Medical discharge was not in his plans. Spotting his dad staring at him out of the corner of his eye, Zoro quickly lowers his hand and clears his throat.  “Won’t stay long,” he repeats as he takes another swig of bourbon. “Should find something soon.”

“Don’t be so quick to leave.” Mihawk lifts his glass and pauses, frowning into the crimson liquid.  “Not sure what may have come between you and Trafalgar but I believe it would be best if you stay here for awhile.”  His piercing eyes are on Zoro again. “You need stability.”

Zoro agrees silently with a nod.

“Very well,” his father responds with a sigh, finally finishing off his drink.  He stands to get himself more, hand reaching for Zoro’s empty bourbon glass. “Keep your hands off of the expensive stuff,” he chastises as he pours them both new drinks, tone sharp as he lays down the ground rules.  “Don’t drive drunk,” he continues as he crosses back to their seats, handing the glass back to Zoro. MIhawk settles back into his chair, giving Zoro a biting glare. “And don’t act like a wild baboon.”

 

* * *

 

“So what you’re saying is you’ve failed your mission. Is that right, Sanji?”

Sanji tucks some hair behind his ear as he feels the weight of Nami’s critical gaze on him. “I’m sorry, Nams. He wouldn’t tell me shit about it when I asked.” Her stern silence has him reaffirming with an almost desperate smile, “If anything, that proves something’s up with them even more. If that helps.”

Nami punishes him with her glowering stare for a beat longer before rolling her eyes and turning her attention back to her phone.  “I have to do everything myself around here,” she huffs, tapping away at the screen. “There’s definitely something up with them and I’m going to get to the bottom of it.”

Sanji takes a tentative step forward after he recovers from her glower, uncertain of what she’s doing typing away on her phone but feeling unsettled about it. He’s still foggy from the other night, his hangover maintaining a grip on him even days after its conception. He’d managed to crawl into work the past couple nights, getting through the shifts -- of course Zoro had been a no-show both times, which helped his chances there.

He isn’t prepared to see him any time soon.

Luckily Nami wasn’t home yesterday to witness him in the thick of his hangover, but she’s just made it back home from Sedona not even an hour ago. He arrived home from work twenty minutes after her and she hasn’t wasted time grilling him on his promise from the other day.

Pushing the topic somewhere else, Sanji asks, “Should I put coffee on, or is it too late? I want to hear all about your trip.”

“Good thinking,” Nami agrees with a smirk, glancing at the time displayed on her phone screen.  “I’ll be up for awhile.”

Nodding, Sanji swiftly preps the coffee machine in the kitchen while commenting loud enough for her to hear, “I’ve got some low-fat coffee cake too. Made it this morning.” He hears a pleased hum from the room behind, prompting him to unravel the loaf before continuing to ask, “How was Sedona? That idiot didn’t end up snapping his spine in half falling on a rock, did he?”

“It was gorgeous,” Nami gushes from where she’s still seated in the living room. “The views never get old.”  She pauses and giggles. “He didn’t break his spine but he did skin his knee. Dork.”

“Moron,” Sanji concedes, shaking his head. “At least he’s not completely useless and got you home safe and sound.”

“I have lots of pictures to show you!”

“Ooh, let me see,” Sanji says excitedly, walking over with the sliced cake on a plate and placing it down on the coffee table in front of her. He sits down gently beside her, leaning over to look at her phone screen. On it, there’s a vivid photo of her standing in front of a massive red rock formation, a classic scene of Sedona’s beauty -- not to mention Nami augmenting that beauty further in the picture. “Wow. Look at that. It matches your hair beautifully.”

Nami flashes him a beaming smile.  “That’s what Usopp said.” She returns to flipping through the photos on her screen, landing on one of Usopp climbing a rugged, old tree in the middle of a dusty hill.  “This is how he got the skinned knee.”

“Never been the best climber, that ‘Sopp. His legs get all wobbly,” Sanji explains with a laugh. “This is making me want to pay it a visit. Been so long.”

“We should do a group trip,” Nami suggests excitedly, her hazel eyes gleaming.  “Wouldn’t cost much to rent a cabin if we all pitch in. You, me, Luffy, Usopp, Zoro, Law, Chopper maybe.”  She glances to the ceiling, face scrunched in concentration, pink tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth.  “Would be like a hundred bucks each at most for a couple nights somewhere nice.”

“I like the way you talk,” Sanji agrees, loving the idea for a trip sometime in the future. The distant future. Taking a trip like that with Law and Zoro in the present would be painful at best. Maybe when everything’s blown over and things are normal again. If that’s even possible. “Someone will probably have to foot Luffy. That dumbass never has money.”

Nami snorts.  “Luffy’s new bestie Law probably will.”

Chuckling, Sanji responds amusedly, “More like Luffy will twist his arm to do it. Swear he loves torturing that guy.”

“Literally.” Nami cackles loudly as she twists her own arm behind her back, contorting her face into a somber expression and sighing similarly to Law.  “Okay, red hat. I’ll pay all your bills.”

Slapping his hand onto his knee and laughing at the impersonation, Sanji puts on a higher, cheery tone, “That’s right, Truffle! You owe me big for dethroning me at pinball!”

They fall against each other howling with laughter, kicking off the couch pillows in their excitement, both red in the face.  It only takes one second of making eye contact with one another and they fall back into it again, clenched over, holding their guts as they let out loud belly-laughs.  Their cackling is only quelled by the interruption of a hard knock on the front door.

“Wonder who that is,” Sanji mumbles curiously, looking toward the front hall with a frown, then back at Nami who is wearing a small smirk. He smiles sheepishly back, her expression making him wary. “Invite someone?”

Nami nods. “Would you mind answering it for me, Sanji?” she responds sweetly.

“Of course!” he accedes immediately, darting up to answer the door in record time. Not bothering to check the peephole, his hand pauses briefly on the knob. Shaking his head at himself with amusement at his nerves, his hand twists the knob and the door swings open. It’s probably just those dumbasses Usopp or Luffy, or maybe even Chops--

Zoro raises an eyebrow as Sanji opens the door, watching as his expression shifts from apathy to shock within seconds of making eye contact.  They stare at each other dumbly, neither one flinching in their silence for a pregnant pause until Zoro nods and directs his attention further indoors.

“Nami home?” he asks gruffly, glancing over Sanji’s shoulder.  “She told me to come over.”

Swallowing thickly, Sanji steps aside to let Zoro in, his eyes shifting to the living room to where Nami is. He nods in that direction. “In there,” he says softly, trying to hide any semblance of strain in his tone. He closes the door after Zoro steps inside, kicking off his shoes and walking past him without another word. Fuck, this is awkward. He figures this is a good time to grab the coffee which should be fully brewed by now. Walking past the living room, he clears his throat and offers to Zoro who is just sitting down, “Want a beer or tea or something? Grabbing coffee.” He points to the kitchen.

“Nah, I’m good,” Zoro responds with a dismissive shake of his head as he settles into the armchair in the living room, tossing Nami a glare as Sanji wanders out of the room.  He crosses his arms and eyes her suspiciously. Nami had acted like there was a sense of urgency for him to pay a visit. He was just getting into a good spot in his late night workout when she texted him to come over, even asking him to make it quick.  He glances around the space and finds nothing amiss, Nami in her pajamas and ready to socialize. Already suspecting there’s nothing wrong, Zoro frowns and asks scornfully, “Where’s the fire?”

“There’s no fire,” Nami shoots back with a smirk, tucking her legs under her as she wraps herself in a throw blanket.  “Can’t a girl ask one of her best friends to randomly come over? We have a lot of lost time to catch up on, dummy.”

Zoro snorts and leans back into the chair, shaking his head at her trying-too-hard grin.  Given the look he received from Sanji when he showed up at the door, he can only assume this is one of her normal ploys.  “Catch up, huh?” he remarks dryly, eyes fluttering to the kitchen doorway where Sanji can be heard fixing their drinks. “What do you want, Nami?”

Sanji slams two mugs on the counter loudly, bearing a deep frown. Why did Nami have to invite _Zoro_ of all people. The last person he wanted to see for a good week -- no, a month. _Several_ months. But he already knows the answer. She wants to prod him on his relationship. Something he wants no part of anymore. He wonders if there’s a way to sneak off to bed, but having coffee and cake isn’t a quick or easy escape.

Feeling that his fate is sealed, Sanji adds sugar and flavored hazelnut cream into Nami’s coffee, stirring longer than necessary to stall for time. His ears pick up on the light banter behind him, eyes drifting to his mug. He sighs, looking at it’s plain black color, tempted to tamper with it to keep him in the kitchen longer. Sanji hooks his fingers into the mugs and carries them to the living space, putting one down in front of Nami on the table. He looks around briefly, sensing a tenseness in the air as Nami is thoroughly studying Zoro, not even acknowledging Sanji sitting down beside her on the loveseat.

Zoro’s attention is torn from Nami briefly as he glances Sanji’s way, watching as the man settles gingerly in his seat, eyes glued to his steaming cup of coffee.  There’s an awkwardness between them, lingering from what happened at the bar a few nights ago. Seems like so much time has passed since then, so many major changes in just a couple long days.

It’s been on his mind the whole time.  The charged flirting, the opening up to each other, the kiss.  Sanji’s response when asked why he’s still single. That night has replayed in his mind the few times he’s allowed it with perfect clarity.  And given the nervous energy radiating off of Sanji, he would venture to say his friend feels the same.

Unable to catch the other man’s stare, Zoro darts his gaze back to Nami as she takes a sigh, wheels turning in her hazel eyes, letting him know she’s up to no good.

“I don’t want anything, Zoro. What am I, some kind of monster to you?”

“Yep.”

She takes a sip from her coffee, grinning and looking to Sanji curiously, who is drumming his fingers along the curvature of his mug. “You’re not wrong. But this time, I’m just worried.” She sighs, pulling the cup from her lips and resting it in her blanketed lap. “What’s up with you and Law?”

Zoro shakes his head, smirk growing into a grin.  What a nosy bitch. “That bored with your own life?  Gotta pry into mine?”

Sanji looks up finally at this, catching Zoro’s heavy stare briefly before twisting his head quickly to Nami. He takes a large sip, wincing at the heat filling his mouth as Nami huffs, balancing her mug on her thigh and crossing her arms across her chest. He thinks he probably can’t drink this coffee fast enough, but he’s damn well going to try.

Reaching over for a piece of coffee cake, Nami retorts, “I was the one who had to suffer serving you and Law the other day. That was _weird._ I’ll pry all I want as compensation.”

The day at Nami’s restaurant.  Zoro reflects back on that moment for a beat, recalling how bored they had both been with each other.  Should’ve known then there was something amiss. He glances between his two friends on the couch, Nami staring at him with imploring eyes and Sanji tipping back another swallow of coffee.  He has nothing to hide from either of them. And this moment gives him the opportunity to see Sanji’s reaction to the news -- something he’d been curious about since his talk with Law.

“We broke up.”

“You _what?!_ _”_ Nami and Sanji react at the same time, wide-eyed and mouths gaping.

“Broke up,” Zoro repeats, raising a hand to scratch the back of his head as he keeps his gaze fixed on them both, intrigued by the surprise in Sanji’s eyes.

“ _Broke up’?_ What do you mean you ‘broke up’?” Nami asks, practically yelling and spurred on by Zoro’s callous shrug. “You literally just moved across the country with him, just to _‘break up’?!”_

Sanji resists the urge to put his face in his hands at the bombshell reveal. Zoro and Law broke up. They broke up because of what happened at the bar -- because of what he did. There can be no other explanation. He takes a huge gulp of coffee, wishing all too suddenly that he had a glass of wine to guzzle down instead. His heart’s beating a mile a minute, not just from the caffeine. Maybe he can sneak out for a quick smoke to ease his nerves -- extricate himself, at least for a breather.

“Don’t know what you want me to say,” Zoro states with another shrug, at a loss as to what Nami’s digging for.  He knows it’s probably a big surprise to them all but they don’t know Law well. Or much of anything about their relationship.  He can’t expect Nami to understand the conversation he and Law had. The only person who may have any insight into the inner workings of how he felt is Sanji, who remains rigid and silent in his seat.

“Don’t try and pull that ‘man of few words’ act on me! Details!” Nami shouts, slapping the air. “I need details, Zoro! Help me get it out of him, Sanji! Don’t just sit there like a dumbass!” she demands, elbowing her friend roughly.

Sanji almost drops his coffee from the blow, recovering the mug before it spills all over the floor. He remains silent as Nami keeps her focus on Zoro. He pulls out a cigarette from his pocket, perching it behind his ear as he glances between the two.

“Ain’t a big deal,” Zoro says passively, crossing his arms again.  “Happened the other night.” He spies Sanji tucking away a cigarette out of the corner of his eye.  Must be uncomfortable. Deciding to soften the blow a little bit, he clarifies, “It was mutual.”

“No big deal? Mutual?” Nami asks, slapping a flat hand to her forehead and groaning in frustration. “It’s been like, a month. You guys moved all this way, you moved into a house together like, last week. I don’t get it. It doesn’t make sense.”

“Wasn’t workin’ out.”  Zoro picks at his fingernails, frowning at his hands.  Her nagging doesn’t quite make him feel worse about the situation but it doesn’t exactly help.  He’d be lying if he said he doesn’t feel guilty. No matter how much Law seems happy to be here, happy to have a new life, Zoro knows that his ex-partner’s career back in Virginia was significantly more lucrative than this podunk town.  What happened, happened. He’s not the type to dwell. But he knows, in the depths of his heart, he should’ve been a bigger man about this back when he decided to move home. Might have a new scar over his eye but his heart isn’t blind. So much he should’ve seen coming.

“Bad move on my part,” Zoro continues as he glances back at Nami.  “But it’s fine. Says he’s glad he came.”

Downing the rest of his coffee in haste, Sanji quickly stands, fingertips brushing the cigarette at his ear. All he wants to do is spew apologies for being the cause of all this. Shit. It’s time to get the fuck out of the room before he loses the last morsel of his sanity. “Going out for a smoke,” he explains quietly when Nami and Zoro turn their eyes to him. “Would you like a top up, Nami?” he nearly forgets to ask, gesturing to her cup.

“I’m fine,” Nami replies, giving him a curious look before waving him off and remaining focused on Zoro. “So, what’s he gonna do now? Leave? Stay?”

“He’s staying. Same job, same house,” Zoro responds, eyeing Sanji’s retreating form until he disappears out the door.  “Said he likes it here.” Already predicting her next question, he adds, “Moved back in with my pops.”

“This is not at _all_ how I expected this conversation to go.” Nami emphasizes her shock with an exaggerated shake of her head.  She pauses her grilling to swallow down the rest of her coffee, setting the empty cup on the table between them. “I mean, are you happy?” she asks sincerely as she tucks herself back into her spot on the couch and yawns. “This is great gossip and everything but I do care about your feelings. Sometimes.”

Zoro nods silently.  It’s much better this way.  Even though he’s been under the suffocating roof of his father’s home, there’s been an indescribable sense of freedom that he hadn’t realized he’s missed over the last few months.  A huge relief. He’s even seen Law in person once since the talk, when he had to grab a few extra things he forgot from the house. No tension. No issues. Pure bliss of unshackled chains.  He could tell Law felt it too, even though neither of them said as much. They didn’t need to.

The only tension he has now is with the dumb blond man that’s avoiding him by chain smoking on the porch.  Zoro exhales deeply. Too many complications for a simple man like him. Too many undertones, implications, and an entire decade of bullshit to sort out.  It’s never been easy with Sanji. Childhood best friends, high school rivals, adult strangers until last month. Unacknowledged tension. He’ll get there. It’ll just take time.  

He glances up and his gaze connects with Nami’s heavy stare.  They’re silent for a beat before both breaking out into wide grins.

“Called me just for the third degree?” Zoro questions with a snarl, but he knows there’s no bite in his tone.  “Drama queen.”

“Like I said, great gossip,” Nami tosses back with a teasing smirk before releasing another yawn.  “But that news was exhausting. I’ve got to get to bed.”

“Biggest waste of fifteen minutes,” Zoro deadpans with a frown, glancing to the backdoor Sanji earlier disappeared out of as Nami rises from the couch.

“I trust you can see your way out then,” Nami chirps as she gives Zoro the finger and heads to the stairs.  “Goodnight!”

 

Sanji lights up a second cigarette on the porch, giving himself every excuse to stay as far away from that room as reasonably possible. Blowing out a stream of smoke, he taps the bottom of his mug on the wooden rail, staring out at the small backyard of the townhome. Two years. He’d fucked up a two year relationship because he’d been drunken ass unable to restrain himself. He can only imagine what Law must want to say to him.

He’d felt Zoro’s weighty stare on him back there. He’d never felt as uncomfortable with Zoro looking at him as he did just moments ago. They’re usually so natural around each other, despite the perpetual tension and the bickering. Zoro’s relationship with Law isn’t the only thing that feels left in the dust at this point. Now he has to deal with what this all means for them, for their friendship.

Sanji finishes off the last gulp of coffee, which has cooled from the night’s air. One thing’s for sure, he owes Zoro an apology once he can catch him in private. Maybe then they can work on repairing the damage that’s been done.

Accepting the culinary program is looking a hell of a lot more likely now. His phone’s still inside, if it weren’t he pull it out and seal the deal right here.

He stays on the porch until he’s practically smoking the filter. Crunching the bud into the ashtray resting by the backdoor, Sanji works up his resolve and steps inside, locking the door and placing the empty mug into the dishwasher. Curiously, the living room is silent. He didn’t hear Zoro’s truck firing up or driving off down the street while outside. Wouldn’t be able to miss the ruckus of that shitty rusted old beast.

As suspected, he peers his head into the living room and it’s empty. The coffee cake and Nami’s cup are still sitting on the table, so he works on cleaning that up before strolling to the front door to lock up. He pulls back the curtain to check out the window first, seeing Zoro’s red truck still sitting parked on the road. Frowning in confusion as he doesn’t see the man standing near it or a figure inside, he wonders if he’s standing outside the door. Swinging the door open, he sees nothing, so he shuts it closed, locking it behind him. Is he waiting in his room to talk, maybe? He doesn’t see another explanation.

Heading upstairs to his room with a heavy sigh, Sanji’s steps are slow and tentative. At least they’re going to get this over with tonight. Nip it in the bud.

Standing in front of his door which has been left slightly ajar -- he always leaves it closed -- he waits until the twist in his stomach unknots before pushing it open. He sees Zoro’s dark figure sitting at the end of his bed, elbows resting on his knees with his hands clasped together. His lips thin and he lets the door creak behind him, leaving it open a crack. Before he can say anything or turn on the light, Zoro’s voice calls out in the dark.

“This isn’t your fault.”

Instantly, something in Sanji mends at the words. It’s that simple. It’s that easy. Why is it always so natural with him? In that moment, he’s glad the lights are out. He knows he wouldn’t be able to lock eyes with Zoro in their full clarity and intensity. Part of him wants to deny it, to keep the blame on him, but the reasonable side of him Zoro is tugging up to the surface is lifting the weight right off of him.

Flicking on the light when the intense feeling passes, Sanji looks Zoro in the eyes from across the room with a small smile. “I’m not having this conversation in the dark, you cave troll.”

“Couldn’t find the switch,” Zoro mutters with a frown, glancing to the wall, feeling mocked by the tiny white plate’s existence.  He returns his gaze back to the clear blue of Sanji’s eyes, searching for the turmoil he’d seen earlier in the living room. None.  Good. He smirks and nods his head to the space next to him on the edge of the bed. “Figured we’d talk.”

“Yeah,” Sanji agrees, “That’d be smart.” Feeling comfortable with the vibe between them now, Sanji clicks the door shut, not wanting Nami to eavesdrop on them so easily. He walks over to the bed, hesitating a moment before sitting down a safe distance beside Zoro and folding his hands in his lap. “Sure you didn’t break up with him because of what happened? Because, that timing…” He shakes his head.

“Tried to do it before I swung by Zeff’s.”  Zoro keeps his eyes forward, unclasping his hands and rubbing the thighs of his jeans.  “Why I was pissdrunk.”

Sanji nods his head, thinking back to Zoro’s state entering the bar that night, gears clicking in his head. “And why you copped out when I asked. Took that shot for nothing, asshole.” He laughs and Zoro just grunts. There’s a small pause between them as Sanji collects his thoughts. There are so many things he wants to ask and expound on, but what’s most important is the wellbeing of his friend. “You’re doing okay? About the break-up and all.”

Zoro hesitates.  He’s fine about the break-up, but there are other areas of his life that he hasn’t sorted out.  It’s been a fucking whirlwind the last few months, since he got out of the Navy. Even crazier in the weeks he’s been home.  Catching up with his friends, making changes in his life, reconnecting with the man sitting next to him. It’s been overwhelming in a way.  There’s a discontentment gnawing at his soul -- a part of his past that reemerged when he returned to Whiskey Peak. It only gets worse with every new sunrise and sunset.  He needs a chance to digest, catch his breath, find his footing. To come to terms. Not really knowing how to articulate this, and not really wanting to, Zoro simply nods.  

“I’m good.”  

Understanding that Zoro’s not one for hammering the same topic over and over, Sanji accepts the simple yet sincere answer. He comments quietly, “You said it was mutual. Glad it wasn’t as messy as I assumed.”

“Just as much his idea as mine.”

Sanji nods, letting the topic die with no reply. He looks to his hands in his lap, then to the floor, wary of bringing up the next question he’s eager to get a sincere answer out of. Taking in a breath, he dives in. “So, what happened at the bar. With us.” His trepidation keeps his gaze to his hands. He’s worried, even with all this relief from his guilt, that he’s just been someone for Zoro to distract himself with from his relationship problems. He continues, “Were we just drunk?” Was it real? He really wants to ask, but stops there, turning his head slightly Zoro’s way.

Zoro straightens up and cracks his neck, keeping his stare fixed on Sanji.  Not a single word could pass his lips and absolve the worry flashing in Sanji’s eyes.  Nothing he’s prepared to say tonight anyway. The silence hangs between them, every passing second cracking them at the seams.  Finding his control slipping once again, he leans forward and connects their lips in a meaningful kiss.

Sanji eyes widen, taken aback from the kiss, honestly not expecting it. Very rapidly he melts into it, humming and bringing his hand to the back of Zoro’s neck, clasping and relishing in the feeling of his heart fluttering in his chest. He doesn’t taste whiskey on his lips, just pure passion. Zoro is kissing him sober and the knowledge of that sets him alight.

Zoro releases the tension in his muscles as Sanji’s hand slides over the back of his neck, relieved that his advances are being welcomed with enthusiasm.  He wraps an arm around Sanji’s waist, pulling him even closer as their kissing becomes more fervent, more desperate. The taste of Sanji’s lips against his is electrifying -- more intoxicating than any bottle of liquor he’s ever come across.  As his hand explores the slender body in his arms, Zoro finds himself needing more.

Swinging a leg over Zoro’s hip, Sanji lifts himself so he’s straddling over him, keeping their lips furiously connected all the way. Unable to restrain himself further and taking cues from Zoro’s hands stroking eagerly along his stomach and thighs, Sanji guides the man down flat onto the mattress. He repositions his hips over Zoro’s groin and gives an exploratory roll, watching Zoro’s mouth part blissfully with the action. Smirking, he leans back down to connect their mouths, breathing heavily into Zoro’s as he slowly coaxes out the fury of his passion.

Skin heated, blood pooling in his already tightening pants, Zoro can’t help but match Sanji’s grinding against him with his own, hips thrusting upward in a teasing snap.  He smirks into the mouth against his when he feels a light gasp on his lips and dives deeper into their kiss, biting and nipping at Sanji’s bottom lip. His dream from a few days ago pops into his mind -- the image of Sanji beneath him, taking him -- and the fire in the pit of his stomach explodes into an all engulfing flame.  His hand immediately reaches lower, searching zealously for Sanji’s zipper and earning himself a soft moan when he finds it. Just like in his dreams.

“Fuck, Zoro,” Sanji groans out heatedly against his lips. “Are you gonna fuck me?”

The question jolts Zoro’s eyes open, halting his actions immediately.  He pulls back, focusing his gaze to settle on the white ceiling over them.  

It’s too much.  

He sits up immediately, knocking into Sanji -- who is still straddling him -- with the quick motion.  His friend rolls off of him with deftness as Zoro lifts a hand to rub his eyes, head spinning, almost hungover from their surge of passion.  He can’t do this. Not now. Not yet. It’s all too fast, too intense, too fucking confusing. He needs time.

He needs to breathe.

“No,” Zoro manages to croak out, lowering his hand from his eyes and giving Sanji’s bewildered expression an apologetic shake of his head.  “I’m not.”

He doesn’t wait for a reply.  

Zoro stands from the edge of his friend’s bed and strides towards the door, stopping only for a moment to give Sanji a second glance.  His expression is still slightly shocked, understandably so. He pauses, wishing he could say more. But the words don’t come to him. Nothing.  Just a heavy feeling in his chest. Zoro offers a helpless shrug and finds himself relieved when Sanji’s eyes soften.

“I gotta go,” Zoro says dumbly, pulling open the bedroom door.  “See you around.”

Sanji simply nods, eyes skimming Zoro’s form as he exits. He remains on the bed, sitting still as he listens to the front door close and soon after, the engine to Zoro’s truck start. Frowning after his shock has worn off, Sanji mulls over what’s just happened. He fully understands what Zoro needs is time, supposedly, but he can’t help wondering if maybe this is all wrong. They’re childhood friends. Maybe this is too unnatural. Maybe Zoro isn’t over Law and Sanji is some kind of fucked up replacement. Maybe this is a one-sided battle. Maybe he’s not good enough.

Maybe, maybe, maybe.

Standing long after hearing Zoro’s truck drive off, Sanji steps out of his room to make his way down to the front door. He’s sick and tired of so many maybes. He needs some certainty in his life, he thinks, as he clicks the deadbolt shut on the door and decides he will accept his place in New York without hesitation.   
  
  
  


 


	9. Chapter 9

_Rest In Peace_

_Sora Canard_

_Beloved Mother and Wife_

_Love Lives On_

 

A raven croaks somewhere far in the sky. Sanji stares at his mother’s gravestone, placing down a neatly wound bundle of brittlebush. Her favorite. He used to pick them for her after his adventures in the desert as a kid. Like little sunflowers, she would always say. He still remembers her bright smile upon seeing them every time he came back home. Right up until her last moments in bed. He’ll never forget that smile.

Sanji can hear the familiar shuffle of his dad limping behind him, halting at his side. Her gravesite is in a beautiful spot -- Yuba Cemetery. Mountains with a multitude of pastel red hues soar in the distance as her stone’s backdrop

“Been a while since we visited,” Sanji comments quietly.

“Been too long,” Zeff returns gruffly, kneeling down with a sigh to tug away some weeds growing at the edge of his late wife’s grave.

A comfortable silence permeates the air as Sanji bends down to help his father clean off her resting place. It leaves him alone with his thoughts -- allows him to mull over this new stage of his life he’s officially agreed to embark on. Giving his mom an overdue visit felt more urgent after accepting the program. It’s been two weeks since he did -- just yesterday he received a large acceptance package in the mail. He’d stashed it away in his room, waiting for the right time to tell everyone the news.

Now feels about right to tell his dad. He should be the first to hear it, even as his nerves are buzzing underneath his skin.

“Got accepted to the program. In New York,” Sanji discloses as his dad sits up with a grunt. His knees. Sanji knows they’ve been bothering him. Clearing his throat when there’s no reply, he elaborates to fill the silence, “The cuisine program. I accepted.”

“New York,” Zeff repeats as he strokes his moustache.  “That’s a long way from home, eggplant.”

“I know,” Sanji replies, mouth tightening in apprehension.

“Think it’ll make you happy?”

After a long pause, several moments of pondering -- about how he’ll miss his friends, about how he’ll miss this place as much as he’s grown out of it, about Zoro and how that new flame never should have started and has already been snuffed out before it grew to last -- Sanji smiles faintly. A fresh start. That’s what he needs. “Yeah,” he softly answers. “I think so.”

“Then I’m glad you’re going.  Your cooking is shit anyway,” Zeff chastises with a smirk, eyes lingering on the gravestone before them.  His smile softens. “She’d be glad too.”

Sanji stands up, shuffling the red dust under his feet. He keeps his eyes on her stone, eyes softening as he reads over her message. “I know.” A pregnant pause. “Gonna be okay, old man? Without me to run the bar and wipe your ass.”

Zeff snorts.  “Don’t forget who actually wiped your little ass, Sanji.  I’ll be fine. Got a whole town looking out for me.”

Looking downward, Sanji smiles under his bang. His dad’s not wrong. This town is like family. His friends will look after Zeff while he’s gone. Yet it still scares him, the idea of being so far away should something happen to his old man. He means the world to him. But he knows it’s about time he makes a life for himself. “Just make sure to take your medicine.”

“You’re my son, not my doctor,” Zeff berates with a shake of his head, reaching a hand up to pat Sanji on the shoulder.  “Go live your life and stop worrying about an old fart like me. Still got some kick left in these legs.”

Chuckling, Sanji shakes his head as his dad turns to hobble back along the quiet path, towards the parking lot. Giving his mom’s grave one last sorrowful look, he steps back and turns to follow, matching up with the old man’s pace in no time.

“I still miss her.”

Wrapping an arm around his shoulder, Zeff pulls Sanji in close as they meander to the parking lot, nodding silently with understanding.  

“Me too, little eggplant.”

 

* * *

 

Zoro stirs from his nap, ears perking at the sound of dress shoes echoing in the hall, drawing nearer with every step.  He keeps his eyes closed and his arms tucked under his head as he listens. The rhythmic clacking grows louder until it finally halts right outside of his bedroom door.  Two hard raps against the wooden frame announce his father’s arrival.

“Zoro.”

“What?”

The door creaks open, his father’s cologne filling the small room as he takes a step inside.

“You were out quite late last night, young man.”

“I’m twenty-five.”

“That may be true,” Mihawk begins, nasally voice droning in that condescending way.  It’s always gotten under his skin. “But you know the rules. No drunk driving.”

“Wasn’t drunk driving,” Zoro retorts tersely, not bothering to open his eyes.  He’s had this conversation before.

“Your truck is parked rather crudely in my driveway.”

“It was dark and I’m half-blind,” Zoro responds with a snort, shaking his head as he adjusts his position in bed.

“ _Zoro_.”

The unexpectedly sharp tone in his father’s voice wrenches Zoro’s eyes open, blinking as his blurry vision focuses on the ceiling above him.  He sighs. Fucking ridiculous. Sitting up, he finds Mihawk’s piercing stare berating him without reprieve. He returns the look with his own indignant glare.

“Wasn’t drunk,” he maintains confidently, holding his father’s gaze.  He’d hoped the man’s paranoia about his driving history would have dwindled even slightly since he left for the Navy.   “That was a long time ago.”

“I almost lost my only son,” Mihawk returns solemnly, unflinching in his position in front of Zoro’s door.  “You will not put me through that again.” He pauses, increasing the electrifying intensity sparking between them.  “Never again. I will disown you before I bury you.”

Turning on his heel, Mihawk strides out of the room without another word, closing the door behind him with a heavy thump.  The sound of his steps bounce off the wood floors at a much faster pace, fading away quickly as he retreats to his study.

Zoro’s gaze lingers briefly on the spot his father just filled as he sucks in a deep breath.  A pang of guilt hits him in the chest as his dad’s words repeat in his mind. He glances down to his shirtless form, catching sight of the jagged, mangled scar stretching from shoulder to hip.  The deepest indents are on the left side. The doctors said he was lucky that it didn’t pierce his heart. Or his lungs. Or that the blood loss hadn’t killed him. Or that he hadn’t sustained brain damage.

Lucky that he was alive.

Exhaling slowly, Zoro lays back down on the bed, eyes turned to the ceiling once more as his fingers find the gnarled flesh of his healed wound.  He supposes he’s not the only one with scars from that incident so long ago. It’s certainly left a lasting impression on his dad -- who sat at his bedside every night in the hospital, demanding updates and information from doctors around the clock until his condition was stable.  

It was a stupid mistake.  Dumb teenage antics. Felt invincible back in those days.  Never blinked an eye getting behind the wheel after a few beers.  Or a fifth of vodka, in this case. Middle of the night, no one on the road.  He was taking the sharp turn to head back home when suddenly he felt out of control.  Tires screeching, wheel spinning, he never saw that pole coming -- not until he heard the sickening crunch of his truck slamming into it and felt the searing, hot pain of metal lodging into his chest.

It was two days before he was conscious again.

“You insolent bastard,” his pops had said as he leaned in for a hug.  It was the only time he’d ever seen his father’s piercing eyes threaten tears.

From there it was weeks of grueling boredom in a hospital bed.  He missed almost a month of school -- having sustained serious damage to several parts of his body.  The gaping hole across his chest was only the beginning of it. Muscle and tissue damage, internal bleeding, risk of infection.  It felt neverending.

The crash was on a Friday.  He was awake in the hospital by Monday.  And on that Wednesday afternoon, fading back from a nap he heard a familiar voice making small talk with a nurse.

Sanji.

“I brought you some soup.”

Zoro smirks to himself.  Some kind of chicken and rice stew.  He’ll always remember it. He ate as much as his belly would allow as Sanji sat in silence.  Despite their teenage rivalry, Sanji was still the third of their childhood trio. One of his best friends.  The other member of that group came to visit frequently as well, annoying nurses and doctors with his typical loud yells and trouble-making shenanigans.  But Luffy was not there nearly as much as Sanji. And there was nothing typical about the blond’s visits.

Outside of that hospital room, in school, in their hangout spots, in every scenario possible -- they were constantly at each other’s throats, one-upping each other, mocking one another, antagonizing each other’s lives.  Zoro tipping Sanji’s books out of his hands in the busy halls, Sanji slamming his locker closed at every interval possible. Irrational arguments, pissing contests, fist-fights. They were the definition of archenemies.

Inside of those bright white walls, it was something else entirely.  They talked, laughed, enjoyed each other’s company. They still mocked and teased each other but it was different.  Warm. Zoro raises an eyebrow, fingers pausing from where he’s been tracing his scar. Things between them in the hospital were very similar to how they are in the bar now.  It was easy. And fun. And he never wanted it to end.

By the time he was discharged, he knew he was in love.

It didn’t strike him like cupid’s arrow, suddenly and passionately.  It wasn’t a raging fire caused by a sudden spark igniting in the underbrush of his heart.  His love for Sanji was quiet embers, radiating from deep within him, warming him from the inside out.  The glow was soft, but strong, like the hot ashes of a campfire that’s survived a harsh winter night. It captivated him, morphing his relationship with Sanji from an innocent childhood friendship to something much, much deeper.  A silent pining. A gripping desire for more.

The only problem with his newfound admiration was the source itself.  Sanji was straight as an arrow. And not normal stare-at-hot-girls straight.  Full blown desperation. Running after women left and right, making a fool of himself to any chick that would give him the time of day.  Within a week of Zoro returning to school, his friend had found a girlfriend. And everything went back to the way it was. Their rivalry was back in full force, Sanji’s obsession with the female species worse than ever before, and any special connection they’d made during their time together in the hospital faded away.

Except the embers in Zoro’s heart continued glowing.

That love never went away.  Not in their last two years of high school.  Not when he hightailed it out of Whiskey Peak the summer after graduation to join the Navy.  Not through bootcamp, his first assignment station, his first trip out to sea. Not through Europe, Asia, South America, or Africa.  Not on the West coast or the East. Buried in dirt, drenched in water, frozen in ice -- no matter how much he shoved it down, he could always feel that glow.  Quiet nights on duty on the ship’s deck, staring into the vast skies over the sea. The stars shined, sparkling over him in all their majesty and the heat rose from within.  Sanji was always in the corners of his mind. He never went away.

Then one day, when the glow was quiet and nearly snuffed out, a routine trip to Walgreens sparked something else.   A new friend. A connection. A distraction. For the first time, he felt like he could move on in a meaningful way.  Something more fulfilling than a random fuck in a new country. A dark-haired man with sad eyes and an intriguing smirk.

Zoro sighs and rubs his temple with his fingers.  He should have known that coming home would uncover some of what he’d spent all those years trying to hide.  He just didn’t realize how quickly a hot coal could set aflame with the right motivation. Doesn’t help that the object of his desires has changed so much, in such attainable ways.  The obvious flirting, the fun banter, the deep connection. It’s all the same as it was in that hospital room. Kindling is necessary for a good fire and they’ve been fueling the one in his chest at a rapid pace.  Every night at the bar is like another trek in the woods for twigs and branches. He leaves full of new bits and pieces to burn and yet finds himself completely ravenous to consume more.

He never stopped loving Sanji.  That much is obvious now. It became clear as day when they drunkenly kissed in the bar.  Cheating is something he’d never do and there he was, breaking his moral code just for one short connection with those lips he’d dreamt of for so many years.  But now it’s been weeks since that moment and he finds himself spending his days holed up in his bedroom, avoiding any chance of seeing his old friend.

It’s just too much.

The worst thing he could do is run into this new situation with his heart leading the way.  He’s likely to end up with another scar on his chest. Much deeper. Something he’s not sure he’d pull out of so luckily again.  But action needs to be taken. Can’t continue to be a wimp about it. Decisions have to be made and he can’t keep ignoring his text messages from his friends.  Fight or flight. The choice is his alone.

Zoro’s eyes flutter closed, pushing thoughts of the past out of his mind, hand still on his scar as he drifts back to sleep.  Maybe he’ll have that dream again. The one where he’s at the bar, drinking whiskey, and the fire in his chest is tamed by the tall, thin blond who keeps his soul just as full as his cup.

 

* * *

 

 

Palm pressed against the leather wheel, Sanji watches orange rays from the setting sun move across his windshield, dancing on his dashboard as he turns off his street. Normally this time of day he’d be at the bar, getting ready for his evening crowd. His dad gave him the night off -- their visit to the cemetery might’ve sprouted some semblance of pity in his normally stubborn mule of a father.

He hasn’t heard from Zoro in weeks. According to his friends, he hasn’t been replying to anyone’s texts. He hasn’t been at the bar. Sanji has been tempted to check in with him, but ever since that night in his bedroom, that’s been a hard gamble. Zoro’s been ignoring everyone -- they all understand he’s probably just working through his breakup, but Sanji worries it might be more than that. That maybe things between them are complicating matters and making his emotional recovery harder than it should be. Regardless, he knows it’s Zoro’s turn to make the play.

His dad got a call from Mihawk this morning, just an overdue exchange between old friends. But through that, Sanji learned Zoro’s been laying low at Mihawk’s, so at least he knows he’s physically alright. Claimed his dad’s lucky he’s got a hardworking son -- that his ‘ape’ of a child has been laying around in his boxers all week. Sanji smirks. He’s always appreciated that they both have hardass former squids for dads. Something they’ve suffered with together since childhood.

Ever since Zoro came back, it’s brought back a plethora of memories and nostalgia. It’s been a complex reunion, sure, but there’s a certain peace of mind he feels when Zoro’s around. A warm and comfortable feeling nestled deep in his subconscious that he’s lacked since Zoro went off to the Navy.

Sanji thinks he developed that sense of security around him when they were kids. He was always very sensitive as a child, especially while his mom was still alive. Picking flowers, feeding critters, daydreaming, reading, cooking and baking with his mother. The introspective type who felt things very deeply -- a trueborn momma’s boy. Other kids in this rural town didn’t really take well to that sort of character. He could stand up to them well enough but there’s not much one child can do when outnumbered by so many trying to hurt him with words, fists, sticks and bats. Faggot was their favorite word for him, something he carried with him deep in his heart into high school.

Luffy and Zoro were the only friends he had willing to stick up for him. Luffy would usually joke around, try to distract them or deter them with lighthearted banter. Sometimes that worked -- they’d get bored and stroll off on their way. But if it didn’t, Luffy would try his fists to get them to scamper off. He was pretty much on the front lines of it, always. Zoro however always stayed back, closer to him, dead silent, fists up or a stick at the ready. If any of those little bastards came within arm’s reach of Sanji, they’d get a fist in their face or a hard swat from a stick. They’d go down, every time. Zoro was diligent about never letting one slip by. Like a barrier, a shield.

Sanji came to view Zoro in that way in his childhood. An impenetrable wall -- all for him. Even today, that feeling persists. He can take care of himself but it’s nestled there, in the back of his mind, in his core.

Zoro’s always been kind of a big brother figure for their group. Though Sanji’s never viewed him as a brother. Not really. He has never been able to accurately put who Zoro is to him into words, not even after all this time. He just knows he’s always trusted him on a deep personal level. Sanji supposes this helps justify his current state of things, not viewing his bond with Zoro as brotherly. He knows deep down what this could mean now that he’s opened his mind and heart up to the possibilities, but acknowledging that is a mess he’s not eager to make, let alone clean up. Besides, Zoro likely is split on viewing him like a brother, maybe that’s why he’d stopped their actions twice. That and Law, of course.

Sanji frowns, gripping the steering wheel tighter. He hates thinking about the past. About high school. It almost makes him sick, churns his stomach uncomfortably. After his mom died and the incident afterwards, he’d gone into high school with severely undealt with issues. Done just about anything to prove to himself and to his peers his worth as a man. Tough, unrelenting, argumentative, infatuated with girls. Straight. He’d been determined to drive the point home to Zoro and Luffy that he didn’t need them protecting him anymore. His guilt about that time still fucks with him.

But there was one time during high school where he relented on all of his twisted up bullshit. Allowed himself to show his true nature again, his sensitive inner child. When Zoro almost died in that accident. Showing up in that hospital day after day had become his new mission for a month. He’d put his cooking skills to the test, made something new for him every day. When Zoro had been able to eat more than just soup, he’d been elated beyond words. Sanji thought of it as a ‘thank you’ gesture for looking after him as a kid, but really thinking back on it now, it was probably more of a ‘sorry for being an ass.’ In actuality, he’d just been doing what his heart told him to.

He remembered how worried he was, too, seeing his friend -- his _best_ friend who always stood up for him -- completely bedridden like that. Reminded him of watching his mother deteriorate. Except instead, he’d been happy to see Zoro look healthier with every day and every meal he’d presented to him.

There was a gleam in Zoro’s eyes too, whenever Sanji opened the door to that hospital room after school. Always on schedule with a tupperware container in hand. Through all their tension in high school, those hours had been where it all melted away, if just for a little while. In the protected space of one little hospital room.

Their time at the bar is vaguely similar to those times. That protective space, insulating him with a warmth which makes him feel most himself and most at ease.

It really has been taking him way back, their recent time together.

Sanji isn’t sure where he stands with Zoro anymore, but nothing changes the past. Things may be complicated, but he’ll always be grateful to have such a good friend in his life. It saddens him deeply that they spent eight years in the dark unnecessarily.

The sun is almost fully set by the time he’s pulling into Brook’s driveway, ready to crack open a beer with Luffy and Usopp and break the news. When he parks behind Zoro’s beat up old red truck, he pulls out his keys and basks in the silence of his Jeep for a moment.

Dammit. It looks like he’s going to be talking about his decision to more of the guys than expected tonight. Sanji feels uneasy about it, but he knows he shouldn’t. This is his life, his decision. Just because he’s holding on to hope from that night in the bar, that night in his bedroom, it doesn’t change the fact that he’s turning a new page on his life, onto a fresh chapter. He has to keep Zoro resolutely out of mind.

He’s fairly certain Zoro will be supportive of this decision anyway. Sanji is the one with uncontrollable hopes of getting this new flame roaring to life, not Zoro.

Lighting up a cigarette, Sanji smokes it quickly inside his Jeep and snuffs it out in the ashtray. He steps out, closing the door and heads up to the front. He knows the door is open, he’d texted Luffy before coming over, so he opens it and steps inside, already hearing low chatter on the TV and Luffy’s loud voice babbling on about the show they’re watching, presumably.

“I would totally smoke with Badger and Skinny Pete. Those guys are my bros!”

“More like kin. They’re exactly like you,” Usopp’s voice echoes from the hall.

“They’re my kin-bros!”

“Reminds me of a couple guys I met in the Navy.”

After leaving his shoes at the door, Sanji makes his way to the living space, hands in his pockets as he nods to the faces turned to him. Usopp, Luffy and Zoro. Brook must be out doing a gig. Though the soft sound of a violin he can make out from the basement says otherwise. Probably just enjoying some quiet time to himself -- having Luffy and Usopp as tenants would take its toll. His stare turns to the screen when Zoro’s eyes lock with his and he focuses on the topic of the show.

“Breaking Bad, huh? How many rewatches is this now?” Sanji comments idly.

“Four,” Usopp responds with a roll of his eyes.  “But it’s better than Futurama.”

“Hey! We should turn on Futurama.”

_“No more Futurama!”_

Zoro takes a long swig from his beer bottle, finishing off its contents and immediately rising from his seat to grab another from the fridge.  He’d brought a twelve pack over after his dad banished him from the house, bitching that he was tired of “seeing and smelling” him. Didn’t expect Sanji to show up though.  Thursdays are one of his normal nights to work. Zoro tosses the empty bottle in the trash before twisting off the cap of his new brew. He needed to man-up anyway. No sense in avoiding the guy.  It’s gotten him nowhere.

“Can I crash here?” Zoro directs his question at Luffy when he re-enters the living room, aware that he’s already on his fifth beer and his drinks are about to empty at a quicker pace.  No need to risk driving, especially after the reminder from his dad yesterday.

“Hell yeah!” Luffy responds with a grin, pumping his fist in the air.  “A sleepover! Like the old days!”

“You can crash in the back bedroom again,” Usopp answers more seriously, pointing his can of Heineken towards the hall.  “Where you stayed before.”

“Thanks.”  Zoro nods, his gaze finding Sanji again, who has since taken a spot on the couch next to Usopp, eyes still glued on the TV.  Not wanting a full evening of awkwardness between them, he takes it upon himself to break the tension. “Been awhile, blondie.  Bar go out of business without me?”

Sanji snaps his attention to Zoro, frowning in pretend annoyance. “Funny you ask. It’s been thriving without you stinking up the joint, greenie."

Usopp laughs at their exchange as he jumps up to run to the kitchen. “Want a Heineken, Sanji?” he calls, opening the fridge.

“Always, ‘Sopp. Thanks.”

Zoro scowls, irritated that both of the annoying bastards in his life have mentioned him ‘stinking’ today.  He takes a pull from his beer as Usopp hands a green can to Sanji. “Thriving, huh? Guess Zeff can afford a real bartender now.”

Cracking open his can of beer, Sanji brings it to his lips with a smug smirk. “Yeah. He hired a little green man who wandered in from some spaceship. He’s the talk of the town. Said he’s looking for you.” He takes a quick sip, swallowing before joking further with a perked brow, “Long lost brother of yours?”

“You’re an idiot.”

“This is boring,” Luffy announces with a loud sigh, grabbing the remote and turning off the TV.  He glances to his group of friends and points to the sliding glass door. “Let’s go look for fireflies!”

Sanji sighs. Just as he’s settled into the couch. Never one to pass up on the chance to watch the fireflies dance at twilight, beer in hand he stands, ambling behind Usopp and Luffy enthusiastically rushing to the sliding door. He glances to Zoro, who’s still in his seat. Halting with a hand to his hip, he pokes some fun, “Hey macho man. Afraid watching some fireflies will turn you into a fag? Too late for that, c’mon,” he beckons with a wave.

“Suck this,” Zoro returns with a roll of his eyes, grabbing his crotch as he stands.  He makes a pit stop in the kitchen to grab two more beers before following Sanji out the door to the porch.  He immediately locates a patio chair and plops down, settling in to watch Luffy and Usopp chasing the speckling lights peppering the vast yard.

Cupping a hand over his cigarette, Sanji is just lighting up when Zoro sits down hard beside him, scraping the patio stone with the chair’s legs. “Damn,” he speaks around the cigarette, waving the matchstick cold with his eyes stretched to Zoro. “Drunk already? A rhino could sit down with more grace.”  

“Getting there.”  Zoro tips his beer back, keeping his stare on the lightning bugs glowing in the dusk.  The stars are starting to peek out above them.

Sanji turns his gaze to the fireflies as Usopp and Luffy are laying out far ahead on dusty earth, chatting amiably far past the patio. Noticing in the corner of his vision the subtlety of Zoro’s head tilting up to the sky, his eyes follow, discovering there the beginning shimmers of what looks to be a clear, beautiful night ahead of them. Taking a long swallow from his can, he wipes his mouth, shaking his beer in Zoro’s line of sight. “Guess I gotta catch up, then.”

Zoro turns to study Sanji, smirking as he asks in a snide drawl, “Yeah? Why’s that?”

“Got something to celebrate, I guess.” Sanji takes a smooth drag to calm his nerves, blowing out smoke in a steady stream. He grins to downplay what he’s feeling inside. Zoro won’t care, he tells himself. By the time he’s ready to leave, all this ‘will we won’t we’ dust will have long settled anyway. “Decided I’m going to New York after summer’s through. Got the acceptance package in the mail the other day.”

Zoro stays silent for a moment, using his beer to occupy his mouth by taking another swig.  New York’s practically on the other side of the world, as far as he’s concerned. His memory returns to those bar nights when Sanji confided in him how badly he wants to leave.  Makes sense, given his discontent here in Whiskey Peak. Their reconnection is just as fleeting as he was nervous it might be. He swallows hard, pushing all of his feelings down with the brew.  Good thing he’d stayed away these last few weeks and didn’t do something stupid, like admit what’s been on his mind.

“Finally gonna get outta this town,” he comments with a nod, accepting Sanji’s news with a grin.  “Doin’ what?”

“You know what,” Sanji says with a spry laugh, perching a foot to the seat of his chair, resting his chin on his knee. “Going to culinary school. Always wanted to be a chef.”

“Hoped you’d say that,” Zoro responds with warm sincerity, aware that cooking has been his friend’s dream since they were kids.  He sets his beer on the concrete next to him and offers Sanji his hand. “Congrats.”

Sanji looks at Zoro’s hand reaching out to him, then to Zoro’s expression. His eyes are sturdy, like steel. Resolved. And maybe a bit proud. Yeah, just as he’d surmised. This won’t change anything. Skin tingling at the prospect of touching him again, Sanji takes Zoro’s hand and clasps it tightly, giving a hesitant shake. He doesn’t know what to say, so he says the only reasonable thing.  “Thanks.”

Keeping ahold of Sanji’s hand, Zoro maintains his steady gaze on Sanji’s eyes.  He knows it’s a big step for his friend to make this decision -- to leave their hometown and Zeff.  If he had to bet, the old man is probably the only reason Sanji’s still here. “I’ll keep an eye on Zeff,” Zoro says resolutely, giving the thin hand another shake.  “You have my word.”

Sanji keeps his grip on Zoro’s hand, unwilling to lose the connection. What Zoro is saying means the world to him and immediately a massive weight is lifted from him. Similar to in the past, Sanji knows Zoro will be a source of comfort and security for his father, who will be severely lacking in those things with his only son gone. He can entrust no one better. Reeling his hand back to himself slowly, Sanji nods appreciatively at Zoro, eyes connecting meaningfully.

“I know you will. Thank you, Zoro.”

“What’s going on over here?” Usopp calls from the distance, approaching with Luffy in tow.

“I was just telling this bozo about my plans for after the summer,” Sanji says, gesturing to Zoro. “Which is that I’m New York-bound.”

“Holy crappoli!” Luffy reacts with a grin, pouncing onto Sanji and hugging him right where he’s seated in his chair.  “That’s awesome!”

“You got into the program?!” Usopp squawks excitedly, tugging Luffy off of the man so he can offer his own high-five.  “I knew you would!”

Sanji chuckles at the two of them, letting them smack both of his palms in a double high-five. His hands sting instantly as a loud crack echoes in the desert. Always so high energy, these two. “You clowns,” he grumbles, frowning irately around his smouldering cigarette while shaking the pain from his hands. “You both high-five like you’re on crack. Shit.”

Luffy plants himself on the patio ground at Zoro and Sanji’s feat, looking up at them both with a huge grin.  “I’ve never been to New York! Can’t wait to visit!”

Usopp pulls up another chair.  “When do you leave?”

“Looking at the last week of August to make the trip. First class is on September 4th.” Sanji answers, releasing a plume of smoke with a soft sigh before twisting the bud out on the patio stone floor, a silent apology to Brook on his mind. He’s glad they’ve has responded so well to this. Nami will be the true challenge, he expects. Her living situation will be disrupted, not to mention she’s like a sister to him.  

“We’ll have a blast up until you go! A going-away-epic-summer-long-party for ya, Sanj!” Luffy claims excitedly, throwing his hands up in the air.  “Barbeques! Pool parties! Road trips!”

“I’ll drink to that,” Zoro says with a grin, guzzling back the dredges of his last bottle and standing.  “Who wants a beer?”

“Gimme a cider!” Luffy demands excitedly.

Sanji swirls his can in his grip, noting how light it’s become. “I’ll partake,” he replies smoothly, looking up to Zoro’s expectant eyes. “Beer.”

“Another Heinie for me!” Usopp adds with a thumbs up.

Zoro nods at their orders and wanders inside, revelling the silence of the living room for a brief moment after the conversation that just occurred outside.  He’s genuinely happy that Sanji is finally following his dreams, but the selfish part of him wishes it was somewhere closer. Phoenix. Carson City. Hell, even out in California would be closer than fucking New York.  He opens the fridge door, hand hesitating on the handle. This is probably karma for cheating on Law. He grabs the beers requested and closes the door with a finality. He accepts it. At least he has the summer to enjoy Sanji’s company before he has to move on.  

Back on the porch, there is still excitement abuzz.  Usopp and Luffy are firing questions at Sanji quicker than he can answer.  Zoro hands out the brews and lands back in his seat, twisting off his cap and sucking a large swallow down.  At least he’s feeling tipsy now.

“Holy shit, you’ll be in a different timezone,” Luffy realizes aloud as he twist the cap of his bottle.  “Like when Zoro was in Virginia.”

“Zoro never called us,” Usopp dismiss with a glare.  “At least Sanji will keep in touch, right?”

“I’ll ignore every text and call from you, ‘Sopp. That goes for you too, birdbrain and musclehead. I’m only keeping in touch with Nami.”

“Hey! Rude.”

“You’ll be in our group text!”

“Told her yet?” Zoro asks curiously.

Sanji shakes his head. “Nah. I don’t want to break her heart.”

“She won’t care.  Her wallet will,” Zoro deadpans with a shake of his head.

Sanji whirls his hand Zoro’s way to give him a smack on the shoulder. “Don’t talk about her like that, you asshole! She’ll miss me!”

“Oh no,” Usopp says darkly, his eyes widening in sudden realization. “This means she’s going to make me do her tampon runs.”

“Maybe she’ll need a new roommate,” Zoro surmises, already looking ahead for a way to get out of his dad’s house.  He raises an eyebrow at Usopp. “Someone who can change a car tire.”

“Hey! That was _one time._ ”

“She told me all about that one, ‘Sopp,” Sanji comments, shaking his head in disappointment. “Sad.”

Luffy laughs boisterously. “Even I can do that!”

Usopp gapes at his rambunctious friend. “No you can’t! Are you talking about the time you tried putting air in your grandpa’s tire?! You almost exploded it!”

Sanji nods in approval of Usopp’s words, putting his hand up as if to testify. “I remember that. You thought he said two minutes, not two seconds. Idiot.”

Luffy laughs innocently, scratching the back of his head. “Oh, yeah. That’s different than changing a tire?”

In unison, Usopp and Sanji press their palms to their foreheads, a muttered ‘oh my god’ slipping from Usopp’s lips.

“Can’t trust you near a car,” Zoro says with a chuckle, teasing his old friend by leaning over and tapping the rim of his red ball cap with the base of his beer.  “Almost drove my truck off that cliff, remember?”

“That was terrifying.” Usopp crosses his arms, leaning back in his chair.  “I thought for sure he was going over the edge.”

“My heart still hasn’t recovered from that, you maniac,” Sanji grouses, giving Luffy a hard elbow. He sucks down a healthy swallow from his can after he’s sure Luffy isn’t retaliating.

“Wimps.”

“Not everyone drives like a psycho like you,” Usopp points out, tilting his beer can in Zoro’s direction.  “You’ve probably _actually_ driven off a cliff.”

Sanji nods sharply and holds his hand up to Usopp, who responds with a hearty high-five. When it’s the four of them, they usually end up on the same side tag-teaming these morons. They put their Heinekens together and toss them back merrily.

“Zoro is the _best_ driver!” Luffy defends, hitting a fist in his hand.  “We used to do doughnuts in the desert all the time. Remember, Zoro?”

“I remember.”

“I wouldn’t get in a car with this blind, directionless fool if he were my last ride out of a zombie apocalypse,” Sanji deadpans, putting down his beer a moment to rustle around for another cigarette.

“Die then,” Zoro says with a shrug.

“I’d die either way,” Sanji replies with a rising lilt, shrugging back, palms in the air. “You’d take me right back to the zombies to get eaten alive.”

“We should watch zombie movies at the next movie night,” Luffy suggests to Usopp with a bright smile.  “They’re my favorite!”

Usopp clutches Luffy’s shoulders with firm, excited strength. “Shaun of the Dead! I’ve been dying to rewatch that!”

Luffy’s eyes twinkle in elation. “Hot Fuzz!”

“The World’s End!” Usopp replies in tandem, voice going higher in their frenzy.

Luffy throws his hands back with a maniacal cackle. “That’s it! We’re rewatching the whole trilogy!” he shouts into the night.

“Count me out.”  Zoro takes a swig of his beer.  The movie marathons at Luffy’s always lull him to sleep.

“We have to make sure Traf can come to that one,” Luffy tells Usopp with a vigorous nod of his head.  “He loves Zombies.”

“That’s ‘cause he is one.”

“I fucking knew it!” Sanji exclaims suddenly, almost dropping his cigarette in his passion. He’s got some momentum off a light buzz now. “You’re an extraterrestrial being, he’s a zombie! I knew it!”

“And you’re a talking duck,” Zoro retorts with a threatening glare.

Sanji laughs joyfully, amused with himself as he gestures to his head. Prodding Usopp in the arm, he asks, “Usopp, where’s that tin foil hat of yours. I need it.”

Usopp raises a finger, explaining with a serious tone, “Yes, Sanji. You are a master conspiracy theorist. I will award you the hat after the ceremony.”

“A master dumbass,” Zoro corrects with a teasing grin.  “They’ll praise you in New York. City of idiots.”

Sanji guffaws shortly, his tone scornful as he blows smoke in Zoro’s direction. “Norfolk. City of braindead half-blind asswipes.”

“Gonna push you off a cliff, fuckface,” Zoro warns dangerously, waving the smoke out of his face.

“Oh, let’s go to the Grand Canyon!” Luffy announces suddenly, perplexing their group briefly at the sudden change of topic.

“Did you hear what Zoro just said?” Usopp asks incredulously.  “Do you want Sanji to die?!”

“No!” Luffy laughs, lifting his hat to scratch his head.  “I was just thinking about Sanji’s going-away-epic-summer-long-party and thought the Canyon would be fun!”

Pausing the filter of his cigarette at his lips, Sanji smiles gently at the idea. “That would be fun,” he agrees, taking a drag before tapping away some ashes. “I don’t think we’ve been there since high school.”

“Yeah! And we can show Traffy!”

“Think Nami would want to come?” Usopp asks innocently.

“We’ll invite her,” Sanji responds, mulling over Usopp’s question with a light hum. “But knowing her, she’s probably tired of hiking since Sedona.”

“Yeah, that stuff’s like, a once a year thing with her,” Usopp concurs, pulling from his beer.

“You gonna come, Zoro?” Luffy asks candidly, round brown eyes shining with excitement.

Zoro raises an eyebrow at the direct question.  Not often will Luffy single him out like that. He’s usually down for anything, but given his isolation the last couple weeks maybe his friend has concerns.  “Sure.”

“When should we go? Best bet for me getting time off is early in the week. You all know that,” Sanji says, taking a sip and staring up at the sky, which is filling out nicely with glistening stars.

“I’m off Tuesday,” Usopp offers.

“I’m jobless.”

“I’ll call out of work if I’m on schedule!”

“Sounds good. We’ll keep each other posted, then,” Sanji says resolutely, standing up with a sigh. Putting out his cigarette, he makes his way to the backdoor. “Going to the bathroom. Anyone need anything inside?”

Usopp gets up, following behind Sanji. “I gotta go too. And Brook said he’ll be upstairs around now to make some dinner. I was gonna help.”

“I’ll help too. That poor, sweet old man’s probably shaving years off cooking for you two bottomless pits,” Sanji jabs, sliding the door closed behind them as they walk off leaving Zoro and Luffy to themselves on the patio under what’s turned into a flawless night’s sky.

Zoro shakes his beer bottle, checking how much remains.  Just a couple more drinks. He sighs, gaze finding the stars as he and Luffy sit in comfortable silence.  Luffy’s leaned back on his elbows, head tilted to the sky too. They remain motionless for several minutes before Zoro finishes off his beer, setting the bottle on the concrete at his side.  The sound jolts Luffy from his trance as he sits up, brown eyes searching Zoro’s in an unusually quiet moment for him. It’s a side of him not many get to see.

“Need a beer?” Zoro questions, nodding at the cider bottle resting by Luffy’s thigh.

Luffy shakes his head no. “Zoro,” he says, his tone stern and serious. “Can we talk?”

Zoro remains still in his seat, Luffy’s sudden shift in attitude grounding him in the moment.  It’s not often that his friend asks to talk to him in such a somber tone. “What’s up?”

“It’s Traffy,” Luffy expounds, eyes remaining confidently on Zoro’s while maintaining an open and casual pose. “I really like him.”

Zoro takes Luffy’s words in slowly.  He can infer what his friend is trying to say but wants to clarify, just to be sure.  “Like him?”

Luffy nods, his rigid brown eyes not wavering. “Yeah.  He’s special to me.” He pauses, tilting his head slightly as his brow furrows.  His words are slow and deliberate, like it has been on his mind for some time. “I’m glad you brought him here.  I want to be with him but I need to make sure you’re okay first.”

Zoro knows he should feel surprised at this confession -- his best friend asking for permission to get with the man he hauled cross country.  But he doesn’t. The two of them have grown close over the couple months that he’s been back. They seem to have a real bond. Different from their own platonic friendship.  He smirks. Tonight’s just been full of weird changes.

“I’m fine,” Zoro answers truthfully, nodding at his best friend with sincerity.  All he cares about is if his friend is happy. He has no lingering feelings for Law -- having found since their relationship ended that perhaps he never had real feelings to begin with.  “Go for it.”

Luffy nods, giving Zoro a couple strong pats on the shoulder. He studies Zoro closely in his eyes, as if scanning for any sign of dishonesty or falsities. Then he beams brightly, readjusting the red ball cap on his head. “Good. Makes me happy you’re okay.”

They sit in silence for a little while longer, staring at the sky together once again.  A comfortable complacency blankets them both, a small smile remaining on Luffy’s lips until Usopp calls out the door that dinner is ready.  Then he’s up in a flash, inside the house within seconds, his normal rambunctious laugh echoing into the night. Zoro remains seated for just a moment longer, mind drifting back to Luffy’s request.

Might have a new scar over his eye but he’s not completely blind.  Even while they were together, Law seemed to have a soft spot for Luffy.  A quiet acceptance. He misunderstood it before as a quirky friendship but he understands now, Law must have been feeling the same way too.  Luffy wouldn’t have burdened himself with his conversation if he didn’t. Tugging his phone out of his pocket, he navigates to his texts, needing to clear the air on both sides.  Would be unfair for Luffy to be the go-between when he’s the one holding him back.

 

 **Zoro Roronoa:** You up?

 **Law Trafalgar:** Yes.

 **Zoro Roronoa:** Just talked to Luffy.  Wanted you to know it’s okay with me.

 **Law Trafalgar:**  Glad it’s not weird.

 **Zoro Roronoa:** It’s not.  Just want you to be happy.

 **Law Trafalgar:**  Thanks.  I am. Talk to Sanji and you will be too.

  
  



	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is kinda filler. But the next two chapters are GOOD and we can't wait to post them.
> 
> Also thanks so much again everyone for the comments. We love you all for leaving such great feedback! Sorry again for not responding. We've been writing chapters like machines lately. Riotoftime is taking a business trip in March so we will be slowing on updates for that month, but we're on it, no worries.

“We sold some mushroom tea!”

“Don’t.”

“We sold some ecstasy!”

“Turn it down.”

“We sold nitrous, opium, acid, _heroin_ and PCP!”

“Red hat, be quiet --”

“-- and now I hear the police comin’ after me!”

An audible sigh.

“Yes now I hear the police comin’ after _me!_ The one scarlet with the flowers in her hair, she’s got the police comin’ after mee!”

Sanji leans forward from his spot in the backseat of Law’s vehicle and clutches Luffy’s neck with his thumb and forefinger, _hard,_ bringing his excitable bouncing and singing to a pause. “Luffy! If you don’t shut the fuck up right now I’m gonna personally throw you out of this car!”

Luffy’s spine straightens as he howls from the harsh, disciplinary grip. “Ahh! Okay Sanji, I get it! Sorry, sorry!”

Sanji clenches his fingers further. “Turn. It. Down!”

“Okay, okay!” Luffy half-laughs, half-shrieks. Sanji’s grip loosens and Luffy complies, turning the dial down on the center console.

“Damn Usopp for bailing out on this trip,” Sanji complains with a grumble to Zoro at his left. He rests back straight against his seat, crossing a leg over the other and getting comfortable again. “Would’ve rode with him in a heartbeat.”

“Just tune him out,” Zoro responds coolly, eyes closed and arms crossed as he leans his head against the rest.  “That’s what I do.”

“Yeah, easy for you to say, Sleeping Beauty,” Sanji mocks, reaching into his pocket for his cigarettes before stopping to think of whose vehicle he’s in. “Hey, Law. Can I smoke in here?”

“I’d rather you didn’t.”

Sanji rolls his head Zoro’s way, annoyance in his eyes. He comments quietly, “See? Like I said. Damn Usopp for bailing. This is going to suck.”

Zoro peeks an eye open, studying his backseat partner with a smirk.  “Can’t survive a couple hours without sucking one down? Weak.”

“Yeah, you’re just sitting there nice and proud with that thermos full of booze, aren’t you?” Sanji points out, gesturing to the travel mug nestled in the cupholder pulled down between them.

“Jealous, huh?” Zoro says smugly, reaching over to pick up his cup and take a healthy swig of whiskey.  He catches Law’s glare in the rearview mirror as he lowers his mug.

“Go fuck yourself,” Sanji spits scornfully, turning his gaze out the window and resolving himself to a long, long ride.

“Don’t worry, Sanji!” Luffy excitedly chirps from the front, turning around to stick his head between the front seats and into the back.  “I have two blunts in my pocket for when we get there. I’ll share!”

“An open container and two blunts,” Law mutters to no one in particular through gritted teeth.  “I better not get pulled over.”

“You won’t,” Zoro pipes in from where he’s leaned back against the seat, eyes closed once again.  “Not with your grandma driving.”

“Just make sure to pull over when Luffy needs to pee. He’ll do it out the window if you wait too long,” Sanji warns, tapping his mouth to preoccupy his nicotine craving. “Nearly got pulled over for that one a couple years back.”

“Oh shit.”  Luffy twists back to the front and taps Law on the shoulder.  “I gotta pee.”

Two long sighs resound in the car.

“It was the Big Gulp!”

Law pulls over to the shoulder with another sigh. Luffy jumps out before the car is parked safely causing Law to fret momentarily. Sanji gets out as well to have a quick, thoroughly satisfying cigarette before they get back inside and continue along their way. About a couple hours north on the road until they reach the Grand Canyon.

“I’m bored,” Luffy groans, not too long after they’ve pulled away from the shoulder.  “Let’s play a game or something.”

Sanji kicks the front passenger seat, causing Luffy to laugh. “That entertain you?”

“Could you stop kicking my seats?” Law grouses with another glare in the rearview mirror.

Sanji catches his menacing look and succumbs to it, recognizing his normal disciplinary actions aren’t fully polite in Law’s car. “Yeah. Sorry.”

“Quit pissin’ him off,” Zoro chastises teasingly, knocking his elbow into Sanji’s arm.  “He’ll make ya walk.”

“I will.”

Sanji simply shakes his head and settles back in his seat, racking his brain to change the topic. “Think Usopp stayed behind because Nami didn’t want to go?” he asks.

Luffy hums in thought. “Maybe. He said he had to be boring and work but I bet he’s lying.” He laughs merrily. “I bet they’re goin’ on a _daate.”_

Sanji chuckles as he watches the mountainous desert landscape drift by. “Do they seem more serious these days to anyone else?” he questions genuinely.

“You mean they weren’t before?” Law asks curiously, eyebrow raised as he keeps his eyes focused on the road.

“Not really,” Sanji replies, realizing Law probably thought these two were official since he arrived here and never bothered to question it. “Nami’s kind of…”

“Slutty.” Zoro finishes Sanji’s trailing thought, mind wandering back to their high school days.  Always had a new guy on her arm. Or chick.

Sanji gives Zoro a kick to the shoe. He scorns, “ _Not_ what I was gonna say, asshole. She’s...choosy about who she gets into serious relationships with. And I say good for her for waiting for the right person.”

“Ah.”  Law nods at the information, pausing momentarily before glancing over his shoulder to where Zoro’s seated behind him.  “I know someone else like that.”

Zoro snaps both eyes open, glaring at the headrest of Law’s seat.  The man’s already turned back around, snickering to himself as he continues to drive.

“Dick.”

Intrigued by this exchange, Sanji formulates on the comfortable air Zoro and Law are maintaining despite their recent break up. He’s happy and relieved that there’s no tension between the two -- at least if there is, they’re certainly doing a good job of hiding it. He knows, however, that they aren’t the type to put on any kind of show. If there were still residual issues between the two, he would certainly feel them in the confines of this car.

Sanji almost lets the amusing topic pass by, and when has he ever been polite when it comes to Zoro’s personal details? He releases a short laugh, prodding further, “Whored yourself around in the Navy, did you? Hard to believe that hair got you any ass.”

“Got plenty of ass,” Zoro answers with a self-satisfied grin.  And it’s true. He’s proud of his endeavours in the Navy. He left his small town with very little experience, both in the world or in the bedroom.  He did well for himself on both accounts during the last seven years. “More than you. No one wants to fuck a lame duck.”

A spike of jealousy courses through Sanji, making it hard to repress his comeback. “Got plenty without you around, you cocky bastard.”

“Ooh, ooh!” Luffy hurls himself around, leaning over the passenger seat.  “I wanna play this game. This one time in Phoenix I got with this guy and he totally threw up on my junk.  It was kinda weird but he was a nice guy.”

“That’s disgusting,” Law complains with a frown.

“I agree with the driver,” Sanji remarks with a raised finger. “Stop talking, Luffy.”

“Law apparently fucked some ginger bastard with nail polish,” Zoro mentions with a smirk, prodding the man in the shoulder.  Payback for his earlier comment. “We saw the guy at a bar once. He thought he could kick my ass.”

“That was also disgusting,” Law quips with a smooth chuckle, shaking his head.  “Bad decisions.”

“Did you kick his ass, Zoro?” Luffy questions with a gleam in his eye, still dangling over the backseat.

“Hell yeah.”

“Douchebag,” Sanji deadpans.

“I’ll kick your ass too, blondie.”

“You can try, greenie.”

“No fighting in my car.”

“Are we there yet?!”

“Would a bologna sandwich get you to stop asking stupid questions like that?” Sanji asks irately. “Of course we’re not there yet.”

“Yeah! Pass one over!”

Sanji unzips his backpack sitting on the floor between his feet and Zoro’s, riffling inside to grab one of the sandwiches he’d prepared for their trip. He tosses it up to Luffy, who catches it with a whoop and immediately gets to work tearing open the plastic before chowing down on it ravenously. The rest of the car ride is easier paced, Luffy’s energy level waning after several annoying games of I Spy, some more questionnaires and obnoxious singing. He settles into his phone for awhile before passing out in his seat. Zoro passed out much sooner, tuning everything out true to his word. Closer to their destination, with everyone so quiet in the car, Sanji soon begins dozing off against the window.

Zoro’s not sure how much time has passed when he finds himself stirring, a loud snore having jostled him awake.  Most likely his own. The space is quiet, save for the faint sound of eighties music playing on the radio. There’s a weight on his shoulder and something soft is lightly tickling the side of his jaw.  He cracks an eye open, his blurry gaze finding a crown of blond hair nestled gently against him, its owner sound asleep. Blinking to clear the fog from his mind, he remains motionless, not wanting to disturb Sanji in the slightest.  A familiar warmth pools within him, and he finds himself on the verge of wrapping an arm around the slender form when a voice from the front seat captures his attention.

“We’re almost there,” Law says quietly, apparently having heard him awaken.  “About ten minutes to the entrance.”

Zoro glances to Sanji again, not wanting the moment to end but knowing it must.  It always does. “Wake up, Princess Droolface,” he teases with a prod, beckoning his friend awake.  “‘Bout got my shoulder soaked.”

Immediately rousing from his nap, Sanji brings a hand up to rub the bleariness from his eyes and wetness from his mouth. He puts two and two together, his cheek resting against something warm and solid, a gruff voice prodding for him to get up. Realizing suddenly that he’d fallen asleep somehow on Zoro’s shoulder, he stiffens and pulls back, putting some personal space between them. Shit, that’s embarrassing. “Sorry,” he mumbles, still wiping his eyes and trying to focus his vision elsewhere, like outside to catch sight of their whereabouts.

“We’re nearing the entrance,” Law repeats for Sanji as he reaches to the passenger seat and pats the brim of Luffy’s hat.  “Wake up, loudmouth.”

Sanji’s eyes turn to Law and Luffy in the front as the latter releases a deafening yawn, stretching his arms wide. He watches with a studying gaze as Law gently puts Luffy’s left arm down. Patient. Affectionately, almost. His motions and tone of voice. There’s something weird going on there. He wonders if he’s just overthinking it or if Zoro has picked up on it too.

“Aw, shit! How we doin’?!” Luffy exclaims.

“I said we’re nearing the entrance.”

Practically bouncing in his seat, Luffy pumps a fist in the air. “Sweet! This is gonna be so awesome! We’ll take lots of pics of us at the cliffs!”

“I’m going to tumble to my doom, aren’t I,” Law says, deadly serious.

“The chances are high,” Sanji agrees with a nod of his head.

Zoro watches as they drive up the winding trail to the front entrance of the Grand Canyon, directional signs littering the side of the street.  As Law slows to pay the attendant for parking, he thrusts a two twenties out the open window first, surpassing the man’s attempts to pay for the car and receiving an indignant glare in response as the cashier grabs his change.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Law berates through gritted teeth as they continue on, following signs to the parking lot.

“I didn’t,” Zoro concurs with a smirk.

It’s not too long before they’ve found the parking area, located a spot, and all piled out of the car for a much needed stretch.  It’s a hot day, the sun already pounding down on them from overhead. A cool breeze offers some reprieve, whipping Sanji’s hair into his face as he groans when Zoro points out the ‘No Smoking’ signs plastered all over the entrance to the park.  A quick stop in the Welcome Center and they’re loaded down with maps and directions to the best lookout areas. A shuttle bus drives past them, causing Luffy to jump with excitement and scamper quickly to climb on, not bothering to read its destination.

“Guess that’s where we’re going,” Sanji surmises with a light chuckle and shake of his head as they get in line to board the shuttle.

They get on and find a spot, Law settling in beside Luffy and Zoro and Sanji sitting behind them. It’s not a long ride, around ten or fifteen minutes with the shuttle driver offering facts and information about the canyon along the way. Zoro looks about ready to pass out in the short amount of time they’re on, his arms crossed, legs spread wide and head tilted down to his chest, causing Sanji to look over at him with an amused look. Luffy doesn’t stop talking to Law, twisting around periodically to chatter with Sanji behind him, probably to the annoyance of many passengers trying to listen to the driver. They see small glimpses of the expanse of the canyon along the way, the driver promising to take them to some of the best places.

At the first stop, they disembark with some of the passengers, others staying in their seats to continue on to other stops. The four of them are faced with a trail weaving through a slight tree line. They begin walking, apparently the canyon is just up ahead. Luffy is already dashing off like a mad man. There are children holding hands with their parents, prompting Sanji to wonder if he needs to do the same for their energetic friend before he runs himself off the cliff’s edge.

“Going to need a leash for him,” Sanji jokes aloud to Law and Zoro. He’s not exactly joking, if he’s being honest with himself.

“He’s going to die,” Law responds with a sigh, quickening his pace to try to catch up with Luffy.

Zoro chuckles to himself, bringing up the tail of their small group as he studies the winding trees and birds perched on their limbs  Been a long time since he’s toured these parts. A middle school field trip is the last time he can recall. The crowd of people ahead of them can be heard gasping just on the other side of the path, signaling a clearing must be close ahead.

“Holy shit!” Luffy’s reaction echoes back to them, the first of their group to reach the canyon’s edge. A mother audibly gasps at his crude language, beckoning her children away from him with a tug of their hands.

Sanji searches for Luffy’s distinctive tie dye shirt amidst the sparse crowd gathering at the edge, following the path up until he’s at the cliff, Zoro and Law towing closely behind him. He stops a safe distance away, hand to his hip as he takes in the view. The canyon is a wondrous demonstration of nature’s vastness, winds howling against its gaping depths. The grooves are colored with strokes of reds, oranges, dusty beiges and whites from the clouds sinking at the bottom.

“Quite the sight, same as I remember,” Sanji observes with a low whistle. A familiar sense of vertigo washes over him, similar to the first time he’d seen it. That drop in his stomach always accompanies him upon the initial step towards the edge.

“That it is,” Zoro agrees with a nod, gazing over the colossal spectacle before them.  Truly a natural wonder, more impressive than many other sights he’s seen during his travels in the Navy.  He watches in amusement as Law stalks to where Luffy is standing much too close to the edge and grabs him by the back of the shirt, tugging him to a safer spot.  The conversation from the other night pops into his mind. Seems both of his friends took him seriously when he said he wants them to be happy. He smirks to himself, enjoying the feeling of relief.  It’s uncomplicated. The best way to be.

Sanji again lets his eyes wander to Luffy and Law, getting more and more curious by the warmth of their interactions today. He glances to Zoro, who is also looking their way, wondering what’s in his mind at that very moment.

“What if I just pushed you off this cliff right now?” Sanji asks with only the faintest hint of a smile at the corner of his lips.

“I’d take you with me.”

Sanji cups his chin in his hand and strokes it, deep in thought as he looks over the cliff, analyzing it, a strong breeze rushing past them both. He hums before responding, “Yeah, you’re right. Bad idea. Your intergalactic friends would just swoop down in their spacecraft and save your ass.”

Zoro crosses his arms, his expression stone despite his amusement with their banter.  He keeps his gaze on the deep canyon before him as he nods. “And ducks suck at flying.”

“So you’re saying you’re comfortable with letting me die,” Sanji accuses, his face mockfully aghast. “Monster.”

“Yep.”  Zoro turns away from Sanji without further response, sneakers crunching in the gravel as he leaves the blond idiot behind.

“Dick,” Sanji huffs, pulling out his phone and wandering off in the opposite direction to capture some good shots of the canyon. Nami had requested some when she declined to tag along on their trip.

Walking carefully along the edge as he snaps pictures, Sanji’s mind wanders to Zoro, looking to his right to try and spot him and failing to see that familiar head of green hair. How he’d disappeared so quickly, Sanji will never understand. An uncomfortable tightness nestles in his chest as he replays their last exchange and many of their other recent interactions. Zoro didn’t seem to care much when Sanji told him about his decision for school. He offered to watch over Zeff which is something he is extremely grateful for but Zoro didn’t seem affected at the prospect of Sanji moving away after they’d just reunited. And now, today on this trip, Zoro is acting normal with everyone else -- even Law, who he’d just broken up with -- but cold around him. Dismissive.

He knows it’s understandable. He knows he was a dick to Zoro in high school and that things have been complicated between them as of late. He’s convinced at this point that his friend is regretting things and doesn’t know how to give Sanji the word. They just need time to let all the confusion between them simmer and then they’ll be back to normal. Sanji very much wants that, even if it means going back to the way things were, rather than progressing towards his hopes for what they could be. It would make things easy, especially once the end of summer approaches.

It’s more comfortable to look forward to his future and who might be in it rather than holding onto somebody from the past.

After Sanji has taken a medley of pictures, some of which he thinks are real keepers, he ambles along the trail to find Luffy crouching down to a large raven, Law right behind him looking on with interest. The raven croaks before scurrying off with a flutter of its wings, causing Sanji to shake his head as he approaches the duo.

“It’s not like a dog,” Sanji chastises, hand to his hip while Luffy energetically gets back up on his feet. “Probably scared the poor thing.”

Luffy bellows out a laugh, readjusting his hat. “I thought he was gonna poop!  I wanted to see it up close.”

Law scowls.  “I certainly was not studying it for that reason.”

“What other reason is there to watch a cool bird like that?”

Palm to his forehead, Sanji ignores Luffy’s ridiculous question entirely before scanning around for their fourth member of the group. “Hey,” he calls, getting Luffy and Law’s attention. “Have you guys seen Zoro?”

Luffy pauses, putting a hand over his eyes to shield them from the glare of the sun as he looks around their immediate area.  “Nope!”

Law shakes his head and sighs, digging into his pocket to pull out his phone.  “Not dealing with this here.” He presses a couple buttons and raises the device to his ear, leaving Luffy and Sanji to listen to his one-sided conversation.  “Hello? Where are you?” A pause. “That tells me nothing.”

“Fuck’s sake,” Sanji swears, turning around to look in circles for their resident idiot, fingers in his hair.

“Tell him I almost saw a raven poop!” Luffy commands excitedly, grabbing Law by the elbow and shaking it.

“Stay right where you are and we’ll find you.  Don’t wander.” Law’s grimace deepens into a scowl.  “No. Don’t. Stay.”

“Like talking to a goddamn child,” Sanji says, laughing at the ridiculous conversation taking place.

“Yes I’ll tell him you’ll kill him.  Stay put.” Law lowers the device and presses the red ‘end’ button, pocketing his phone as he turns to Luffy and Sanji.  “He’s on one of the paths that lead down to the canyon.”

Sanji deadpans with a brow raised. “You sure he knows his downs from his ups?”

“Normally I would say no but I don’t believe there are any ups around here,” Law returns with another shake of his head, pointing them to a nearby stone staircase that several groups are walking down.  “Let’s start there.”

As they make their way to the staircase, Sanji puts his hands in his pockets and says to Law, “That idiot must’ve been even more of a treat navigating Norfolk.”

“You have no idea,” Law responds bleakly, scowling as he leads the way down the stone steps.  “It’s abnormal for a human being to get lost so easily.”

“Yeah, well, that one was born abnormal,” Sanji replies, shrugging.

“He’d always get lost when we were kids, playing hide and seek and stuff. He won a lot,” Luffy chimes in, chuckling merrily.

Sanji snaps his fingers and points, acknowledging Luffy’s memory. “He’d fall asleep in the most random locations. We never could find him. Didn’t his dad almost report him missing once?”

“Yeah!  Mr. Hawky had the police come to my house to look for him and everything!” Luffy stops and scratches his head.  “I think he ended up being asleep at the park or something.”

Sanji laughs, thoroughly amused at Zoro’s expense. “How the fuck does he get around driving anywhere?”

Law glances over his shoulder and catches Sanji’s gaze.  “I’m honestly not sure. He must inherently remember these roads.  It wasn’t like this in Norfolk. Took an extra twenty minutes to get anywhere.”

“He’s an idiot,” Sanji insults pettily. “He’s probably in Utah by now.”

“Oh! I think I see him!” Luffy shoves past Sanji and Law in excitement, bumping into people as he hurls himself ahead.

“That’s just a shrub,” Sanji jokes, spotting Zoro down the trail and making his way leisurely beside Law as Luffy powers on through other tourists.

“ _Zoro_!”

Zoro glances up from where he was staring at the canyon and watches as Luffy hurdles down towards him, realizing at the last second that his friend intends to jump on him.  He uncrosses his arms, bracing himself for impact as the weight of Luffy’s scrawny body is flung against him with a smack.

“Don’t knee me in the balls,” Zoro protests irritably, shoving away the man’s kicking and flailing legs.  He takes a staggering step back and manages to stabilize himself without knocking into anyone nearby.

Sanji cringes visibly. “Holy fuck, they’re going to die.”

Law watches the exchange with a shake of his head, eyebrows furrowed at the scene before them.  “Red hat truly has a death wish.” He glances to Sanji. “Perhaps we should separate them before we end up on the news.”

Sanji breathes a sigh of relief after Zoro sturdily catches Luffy, the threat of watching his friends plummet to their deaths over with for the time being. “Good idea. I need a cigarette after that shit.”

Zoro’s just managed to get Luffy’s cackling form removed from him when Law and Sanji approach, both of their expressions set in disapproval.  He raises an eyebrow and glances between the two of them. “Who pissed in your Cheerios?”

“Were you born old?” Sanji asks incredulously.    

“Fuck off.”

“Do you have to get lost everywhere you go?” Law berates with a glare.

“What’s down there?” Luffy points ahead, as if he just now realized the trail leads to the bottom of the canyon.  “There’s a lot of cliffs! Can we go?”

Law looks up from his stare-down with Zoro to follow Luffy’s finger and the trail it’s pointing towards.  Zoro recognizes the look in the man’s eyes. He’s seen it dozens of times since he met Law. It means he’s about to say his favorite word.

“No.”

“Aw! Why not, Traffy?”  Luffy pats Law on the back robustly.  “It’ll be fun!”

“No.”

“It’ll only take a few hours!”

“More like a couple days,” Zoro quips, jutting a thumb over his shoulder.  “Sign says ten miles.”

Luffy smiles sheepishly at Law, obviously aware that he’s fighting a losing battle.  “We can just go halfway!”

Law puts up a tattooed hand, silently stopping any further pleading before turning on his heel to head back up the trail.

“We’ll go down next time then!” Luffy gives Zoro a shrug, smile still on his face.  He laughs boisterously and runs ahead to jump on Law’s back, causing him to slightly stumble.  “Let’s go, Traffy!”

“Well, we just avoided a catastrophe,” Sanji quips, bumping Zoro’s shoulder as they walk beside each other back up the trail. “Telling you right now I would not be willing to foot the bill for that search and rescue party.”

Zoro simply grunts in response, keeping his eyes forward as they climb back towards the top.

Sanji chews the inside of his lip, dying for a cigarette as he lets Zoro’s pace overcome his, idling behind and keeping his eyes on the giant chasm before him.

The day withers away to mid-afternoon, their party of four using the shuttle take them to various lookout spots.  With each one they disembark, check the sights, and then move on to the next. Their final stop is the last in the loop and they decide to walk along the canyon trail back to the Welcome Center.  It’s supposed to be a good little trek, one that’s vastly fascinating to Luffy as he stops to check out every boulder, cactus, and pathway he comes across. The view is beautiful, the greatness of the canyon truly breathtaking.  

Zoro stalls behind the group, pausing to take in nature’s majesty once again.  He’s always felt most at ease outside, surrounded by the wonders of the world. As though the earth could open up and swallow him whole anytime.  The ocean comforted when he was homesick in the Navy -- its own seemingly endless existence comparable to the landscapes of Arizona. A blue desert.  Always made him feel right at home.

“Don’t you fucking dare.”

Ears perking at the sound of Law’s voice growing louder, Zoro glances ahead to the group and finds the man in question scowling deeply with his arms crossed.  Luffy is inching towards him, hands cupped and extended, an impish grin lighting up his face.

“Look at this little fella, Traffy!” Luffy says, shoving his cupped hands in Law’s chest. “I found him over by that rock!”

“Get it away from me.”

“It’s a lizard! He’s harmless!” Luffy says with a bright grin, taking a couple paces back as he curls his hand into a fist and winds back for an underhanded pass.

“No.”

Luffy lobs the lizard in a direct arc towards Law, the critter landing nicely on his shoulder.

Law visibly tenses, gritting his teeth as his grey eyes widen.  He slowly turns his head to peer at the reptile decorating his shoulder, scowling at the sight.  Slowly, he lifts a hand to remove it but jumps slightly when the lizard begins crawling down his chest, obviously scared and trying to find a way off.  “Stay away from there!” He swipes at the lizard’s tail as it scampers towards the opened top of his button-up shirt. “I did not consent to this!”

“He wants to be your friend!” Luffy cheers excitedly, clapping his hands at the display.  He rushes forward, cackling as he tries to chase the lizard further into Law’s shirt.

“I don’t want to be his,” Law retorts callously, grabbing the lizard by the tail and analyzing it with a grimace.  His frown deepens as the critter wiggles in his hold. He awkwardly sets it on the ground before turning his glare on Luffy, lashing an arm out and shoving the man out of his space.  “Nor do I want to be yours.”

“Yeah you do!”

Sanji watches on, eyebrow raised at the two. He’s pretty sure they’re flirting in their own weird language. This prompts him to glance to Zoro who is also spectating the show with curiosity. He clears his throat to say something but keeps his lips sealed, deciding that’s probably not a conversation Zoro wants to get into, especially not with him in particular. Instead he takes to gazing on at their spectacle, his bewilderment amplifying by the minute.

“C’mon, Traffy! Let’s go see where this leads.”  Luffy grabs Law by the hand, tugging him towards another short path.  Their fingers stay entwined as Law begrudgingly complies, muttering to himself along the way.

Zoro watches them tread on to a new adventure, deciding to continue down the main walkway.  Last time he followed Luffy to a new path, they ended up walking into some cactus and Sanji wouldn’t stop laughing for ten minutes straight.

“I guess we’re meeting at the Visitor Center,” Sanji says, blinking rapidly at the demonstration he’d just witnessed.

“Guess so.”  Zoro glances over his shoulder to the other man.  “You comin’ with me?”

Sanji looks back to Zoro with a studying gaze. This is different. He smirks, putting his hands in his pockets. “And where’s that?”

Zoro shrugs, pointing ahead.  “That way.”

Sanji sighs, strolling up next to Zoro. He shrugs, peering up at the weathered trees surrounding them. “Guess I’m forced to. You’ll just get yourself lost.”

“Don’t act so tough,” Zoro retorts with a scowl, side-eyeing Sanji as he catches up to pace.  “Saw you cringe at that lizard. I can catch ‘em too.” He pauses, a smirk crossing his features.  “And bugs.”

Face blanching at the mere mention of those hellish creatures, Sanji grimaces and retorts sharply, “Don’t even think about it. I’ll show you what my foot can do directed off the side of this cliff.”

Zoro chuckles lightly at Sanji’s threat.  “Doubt you’d succeed.”

Sanji brushes off his comment with a wave, blowing air through his lips dismissively. “Whatever, greenie. Let’s find a spot for me to smoke, goddammit.”

Zoro pauses and glances around, spotting a short hill of rocks on their left.  “Other side of that?”

“Works for me,” Sanji agrees, thumbing the pack in his back pocket.

They walk over in silence, enjoying the quiet with Luffy out of the picture. Stopping behind a large boulder that keeps them out of sight of the main trail, Sanji pulls out his cigarette pack and plops down on the rockbed with a sigh, Zoro resting down beside him. The private spot they’ve found still offers a pleasant view of the canyon. Sanji cups a hand over the cigarette in his mouth, high winds at this altitude making it difficult to light up. He scowls in defeat.

Zoro watches in amusement as Sanji huffs at his lighter.  “C’mere,” he beckons, motioning for Sanji to lean in as he holds up his hand to block the breeze.

“Thanks,” Sanji mutters, heart warming at Zoro’s small gesture on his behalf. He sucks in the flame from the tip of his cigarette, finally getting that renewing sensation fill his lungs after too many hours without. Leaning back against the rock with a pleased breath, he closes his eyes and says with a laugh, “Don’t know about you but I’m ready to hit the road.”

Zoro leans forward, resting his forearms on his thighs.  “I could stay here for days.”

Sanji peers at him curiously before laughing gently. “You crazy fuck.”

“Had almost a decade on the road and out to sea,” Zoro says with a shake of his head, keeping his gaze forward.  “Now I just wanna sit. And be.”

Sanji turns his eyes to the sight before them, nodding at Zoro’s answer as he slowly brings his hand to his mouth for another drag. He lets Zoro’s words sink in, realizing the man is not in much of a hurry after his time travelling in the Navy. It makes sense. He blows out a thick stream of smoke, tapping a finger to his mouth with a small smile. “Maybe I’m being a bit restless.”

Before Zoro can respond, he feels his phone buzz in his pocket, distracting him as it feels like a series of messages have arrived all at once.

 

 **Luffy Macaco:**  Hey!  Look at this!!

 **Luffy Macaco:**  It’s so pretty here!!

 **Luffy Macaco:**  I saw a raven poop!!!!

 **Usopp King:** Oh man! What a cool view.

 

He opens the notifications and finds a picture in their group chat, a photo of Luffy and Law smiling at the camera, the canyon as a backdrop.  They’re incredibly close, cheeks touching as they grin into the lens. He grins at the image and silences his phone, tucking it back away.

Sanji plucks his phone out of his pocket, catching up to the conversation as well. He smirks at Nami’s reaction.

 

 **Nami Katt:** Love the pics but Luffy we don’t need to know about a raven shitting.

 **Luffy Macaco:** Why not! I’d wanna know!

 **Tony Chopper:** I love these pics! So pretty!

 **Nami Katt:** That’s because you’re disgusting.

 

Scrolling back up to the images Luffy sent, Sanji takes in the smiling faces of Luffy and Law, curiosity rising to new levels. He tilts into Zoro’s space and points to his screen.

“They’re idiots,” he states simply.

“Yep.”

“Are they what I think they are?”

“Yep.”

Sanji’s eyes widen, mouth gaping open. “Seriously?”

Zoro raises an eyebrow, confused by Sanji’s question until it dawns on him.  Sanji doesn’t know about the conversation he had with Luffy at Brook’s the other night.  And their friend wouldn’t run off and tell everyone he got permission. He’d simply act on it, much like what they’ve been witnessing today.  “Yep,” he repeats again, leaning back against the rock. “Don’t really know what they are but the answer is probably ‘fucking.’”

Sanji takes a moment to respond, not able to come up with anything better than a series of short, disbelieving laughs culminating in a deep sigh.  “Oh, man.” Zoro doesn’t really budge beside him, causing Sanji to switch gears, be a bit more considerate. “I’m assuming Luffy made sure that’s cool with you and you said yes. But is it really? Cool with you. You guys didn’t break up long ago.”

“Would’ve said no if it wasn’t,” Zoro answers bluntly, turning his head to study Sanji’s expression.  “Told him it’s fine. Told Law too.”

“Fair enough.” Sanji nods, biting his lip briefly. Dammit. He shouldn’t feel so elated. He shouldn’t want to kiss Zoro this badly as they sit here and talk like two friends. “Sorted it out so easily, huh? Haven’t been around Law as much as you but he seems the cut and dry type. Like peas in a pod.”

“He is,” Zoro confirms, fingers tracing over the dips and cracks of the rockbed they’re seated on.  “Not much to sort out.” He glances up, catching Sanji’s curious gaze. “Wasn’t serious.”

Sanji perks a brow, confused. “Didn’t he move here for you?”

“Sorta.”  Zoro sighs gruffly.  Even outside of the confines of Zeff’s bar, sober without any liquor to blame, he finds himself compelled to let Sanji in.  It’s so easy to talk to him. Too easy. “Think he just wanted to move. Wasn’t emotional. Think we were both bored.” He tilts his head slightly.  “And lonely.”

Sanji digests this revelation with a slow turn of his head towards his friend. All this time he’d thought Zoro and Law were a real item with emotions attached. He’d never suspected they were just fucking around. Anyone would assume that when Law moved across the country to be with him. But it’s becoming rapidly clear to Sanji, this must have all been in his head. Something he’d fabricated based solely on assumptions. Now the gears are clicking in his head and suddenly their break up makes a lot more sense. When Zoro told him that night in his bedroom that this wasn’t his fault, he really meant that sincerely.

Sanji wonders if Zoro has felt lonely all this time away from Whiskey Peak, away from his friends, the comfort of his home. All this time, while dating Law even, maybe that loneliness still found a way to cram itself into the life Zoro had been trying to build. He feels a deep pang of sympathy. Heavy and sad, eight solid years of it, hitting him all at once.

His body on autopilot, Sanji reaches out to Zoro’s stationary hand on the rockbed, wanting to offer comfort before reality crashes down on him. He shouldn’t. Stopping his motion, he begins to retreat his hand when a strong warm grip brings his hand back assuredly. His heart beats faster. Zoro’s dark eyes are staring into him like there’s nothing wrong in the world. Still, Sanji needs to ask.

“Are we okay?”

Zoro glances down to the pale fingers wrapped in his.  He looks back up, finding warmth in ocean blue.

“We’re okay.”

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Put these fuckers back on.”
> 
>  
> 
> ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)>⌐■-■ (⌐▀ ʖ▀)
> 
>  
> 
> “Fine.”

 

Zoro pulls his truck into his normal parking space, pausing to survey the crowd.  Not much of one. The lot is sparse. He spots the recognizable white Jeep towards the back and grins.  Just what he was hoping. Ignition off, glasses tossed to their place on the dash, Zoro hops out of his truck and crosses the asphalt to the rugged wooden door.  He pauses, recalling momentarily the last time he was here. The drunken kiss and the stream of events it lead to. Been almost a month since then. He shakes his head.  Too long. 

Despite his best efforts to keep Sanji at bay, it’s become glaringly obvious that they’re closer than ever before.  Especially after last week’s trip to the Grand Canyon. The spark won’t fade. There’s no point avoiding it -- it is what it is.  He’s dealt with it all these years. If he could handle it in high school, he can handle it now. He’s grown, matured, became a man.  Should be stronger. Sanji’s leaving for New York at the end of the summer, only a couple months away. No reason to avoid a good bar and good company ‘till then.  Whatever comes of it, he’ll deal with it once his friend is far gone and settled in the next stage of his life.

Satisfied with his decision, Zoro takes a deep breath and pushes the door open.  He’s immediately greeted with a red-faced Zeff, seemingly drunk and hanging out near his normal stool.  Grinning, he nods to the man, silently pleased that his seat is empty even after all this time.

“Old man,” he acknowledges with a grin, patting the geezer on the back as he heads to the end of the bar. 

“Little cactus,” Zeff returns with a boisterous laugh, a playful gleam shining in his light blue eyes.  Old bastard must be close to shitfaced. “You been fightin’ with the eggplant? Haven’t seen you around these parts in too long.  Too long!”

“Pipe down. Use your inside voice you drunk old coot,” Sanji admonishes, giving his dad a glare that hides warmth behind it. Zeff mumbles something incoherable at him so he turns to Zoro, giving him a quick look over as he leans over the bar. “It  _ was _ getting too quiet in here.”

“Pops kicked me out of the house again,” Zoro jokes with a smirk.  His eyes study the bottles behind Sanji, finally landing on his favorite.  Captain Dark. He nods. “Double.”

Sanji twists around, grabbing the bottle and fixing Zoro his drink. He slides it over with a coaster to where Zoro’s seated. “Double. Seems light for you.”

“Night’s early.”  Zoro gives Sanji a wink, picking up the glass and taking a long swig.  

“Ol’ Mihawk’s throwin’ a fit about you, boy,” Zeff chuckles, grabbing Sanji’s attention and pointing to his own empty glass.  “Think he’s about ready to ask me to trade sons. Considering it. I’d like one less bratty.”

“And I’d like a sober dad,” Sanji chips in, swiping his dad’s glass, refilling it quickly and sliding it back over.  “We don’t all get what we wish for.”

“Dad slings back a bottle of wine a day,” Zoro says with a shake of his head.  “Hypocrite.”

“Don’t pay that old ninny any mind,” Zeff agrees with a swing of his vodka tonic.  He taps his hand on the table, twisting to face Zoro. “My boy tell you about his program in the city?” he asks with poorly masked pride, jutting a thumb towards Sanji.  “Thinks he can go to a fancy school and learn more than me.”

“You learned to cook for a bunch of dirty old marines lost at sea. They would’ve eaten shit on a plate,” Sanji snarks back, bending down to rip open a case of beer and restock the fridge. 

“Accept that trade from my dad, Zeff.”  Zoro takes a sip from his whiskey, gaze lingering on Sanji’s bent form as he swallows.  “I’ll be checkin’ in while blondie’s gone.”

Zeff peers between them, eyebrow raising slightly.  “That a fact?” he questions, smirking as he twirls his mustache.  “I’ll save all my heavy lifting for ya. See if the Navy really made a man out of you.”

“This feels like the prelude to some Freaky Friday shit,” Sanji murmurs as he shakes a bottle of Budweiser to Patty ahead of him. Patty shakes his head no, prompting him to ask his dad, “About that time?” 

Zeff takes a long swallow from his drink, finishing off the contents of his glass before sighing.  “Patty! Let’s head out. This old drunk needs his bed.”

“Got that right,” Sanji concedes, putting a hand to his waist. “Last drink’s on me, Patty. Good to go.” 

“Should’ve covered my whole tab for being his ride home every night,” Patty grumbles with a slam of his palms to the bar, legs of his stool squealing as he stands. 

“Stop bitching. This is a once a week thing,” Sanji remarks jestfully with a smirk as his dad gets up, holding the bartop tightly for leverage. “And you live around the corner. That beer’s more than worth that.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Patty retorts, helping Zeff to the front door. 

The bar door slams closed, leaving Zoro and Sanji alone in silence.  Zoro watches the beads of moisture drip down the side of his glass, the amber hue of his liquor reminding him of their recent excursion to the Grand Canyon.  They stayed until the sky was painted vibrants oranges and reds as the sun was seemingly sucked down into the canyon itself. A sight to see. Peaceful. Just like this moment now.  He lifts his gaze, finding Sanji’s eyes turned towards him. 

“Been awhile,” Zoro comments in a low drawl, signaling to his position on the stool.  “Not much has changed.”

“Not much has changed in the eight years you were gone,” Sanji remarks playfully with a light laugh. “You think it’d be any different in here after a month?” 

Zoro grins.  The reaction he wanted.  “Means I can lock up then.”  He stands without waiting for a reply, going through the motions to close the door and turn off the light before returning to his stool.  “And another double.”

“Good trade,” Sanji replies with a wink, picking up Zoro’s choice of rum by the neck and giving his glass a healthy pour. “Gotta admit I missed you around here.” 

Wrapping a hand around his fresh drink, Zoro pauses at the remark and studies Sanji briefly.  Likely a jab. “For what?” he asks, beating the man to the punchline. “Locking doors and carrying kegs?”

“Of course,” Sanji confirms, bending down again to the case of beer and getting back to stocking. He looks over his shoulder, questioning charmingly, “What else would I need you for?”

“Couple things come to mind,” Zoro quips in response, unabashedly eyeing Sanji as he takes a long gulp of rum.  He’s done fighting it. No harm in having a little fun.

“Oh, yeah?” Sanji sings. He’s loving this guilt free banter. It’s incredibly liberating and feels so comfortable between them. “Just a couple?” 

Zoro nods seriously, leaning his forearm on the bartop and raising two fingers.  “Need me to drink the booze and keep you in check.”

Sanji merely hums, amused by Zoro dousing the flames so soon. After finishing stocking the fridge he begins cleaning up the bar, eager to grab a drink and pull up a stool next to Zoro. He thinks about the silly conversation earlier, bringing it up, “You know I wonder how different I’d be if your dad raised me. I know you’d be even more of a bum if you were my dad’s son.” 

“You’d be more annoying,” Zoro muses with a smirk, crossing his arms over his black tee.  “Raised on expensive wine and fancy clothes. Can see it now. A mini-Hawk.”

Sanji looks up to the ceiling, daydreaming. “Well, that doesn’t sound so bad. You just don’t know how to appreciate the finer things in life.” 

Zoro frowns slightly.  “Not wine and clothes but I appreciate my dad.”  He pauses, thinking over Sanji’s question in full.  He was lucky to have been adopted by such a steadfast man.  He respects his father wholly, even if they don’t always see eye-to-eye.  He hopes to see the same success as his old man has in life, and eventually surpass it.  All by his own hard work. “Wouldn’t be who I am today without my pops. Annoying bastard and all.”

Wiping down the bartop, Sanji pauses beside Zoro, tapping his finger on the polished wood as he digests his words. “You are similar to him. The both of you stubborn idiots but self-assured. Even in high school.” He resumes cleaning the bartop, scrubbing in circles as he continues, “That’s something I always remembered about you.”

“Think I came to pops that way,” Zoro returns with a snort, taking another swig from his glass.  “That’s why he let me keep my last name.” His voice lowers, unable to keep the smile from pulling at the corners of his lip.  “But he always set me straight if I ever forgot who I was.”

Nodding, Sanji strolls back behind the bar, washing his hands in the sink and leaving the cloth hanging over the tap. He takes out a chilled bottle of Heineken, popping the cap and taking a quick swig. He fills Zoro’s drink, turns off the small TV in the corner and makes his way back around the bar, pulling up a stool next to him and sitting down. Planting the soles of his feet on the rail, he glances over to Zoro briefly who’s staring at his glass before taking a long swallow of beer. 

“No, you never forgot who you were.” Sanji stops himself there briefly, wanting to put more thought into what he’s about to express. He’s felt guilty about this a long time. He doesn’t want to say the wrong thing. “Sometimes I think about high school. It’s like forgetting who I was is all I ever did,” Sanji reveals, his voice quiet as his drums his fingers along the bottle, staring at the green glass transfixed. He turns to Zoro with sad eyes. “I’m sorry, Zoro. About those days. I wasn’t a good person. I wasn’t a good friend to you. And I should’ve…” He pauses, frowning as he lays out his regrets. “I should have kept in contact with you after you left.” 

Zoro keeps his gaze on his liquor as Sanji’s words seep in and leave a stinging in his chest.  The Sanji before him now is almost a completely different person from the Sanji from back then. At least, on the surface.  The old mask the man wore was callous and overcompensating, judgmental and downright irritating. But that was just a front.  The real Sanji was always there underneath. Zoro knows this for a fact. That’s who visited him for that month in the hospital.  That’s who he fell in love with so many years ago. That’s who he comes to see in the bar now.

“Weren’t a bad person,” he asserts with a gentle pat to Sanji’s arm, turning to look at his friend head on.  “Just lost.” He shrugs. “I didn’t do much to keep contact either.”

Sanji allows their eyes to stay connected, letting that warm feeling soak into his soul until a flickering from his left breaks him out of it, causing him to look over just as the light burns out. “Shit,” he curses, standing from his seat. There’s no way he can leave it like that for his dad in the morning. “I gotta put in a new one. Surprised it lasted as long as it did.” 

“Need a hand?” Zoro offers, twisting to get off the stool.

“Nah, take it easy. I got it. The day I need your help screwing in a lightbulb is the day I should roll over and die,” Sanji jokes, scratching his head as he walks behind the bar, opening a cupboard and pulling out a box of lightbulbs. Then he strolls quickly over to the pool table, using his flashlight on his phone as a guide. Crawling on top, he begins unscrewing the burnt out bulb, mind wandering back to their talk as he goes about the menial task. Feeling Zoro’s eyes on his back, he calls over his shoulder with a grin. “Hey. You think you would’ve dated me in high school? You know. If I was out back then and not a total asshole?”

Zoro’s eyes widen as he keeps his gaze focused on Sanji replacing the bulb.  Dating Sanji was all he wanted back then. Almost surreal that this question is being posed to him now.  After years of yearning. And a mere two months before the man heads off across the country. “Yeah,” he answers honestly, not allowing the circumstances to change his response.  Doesn’t mean Sanji needs to know how badly. Or how long he’s thought about it. He raises an eyebrow, curiosity getting to the best of him. A question of his own passes his lips.  “Think you’d have dated me?”

Heart beating faster, Sanji smiles as he screws the lightbulb the last little bit, a confident yellow light bathing the room and his kneeling form on the pool table. He turns to face Zoro after the returned question has sunk in. 

“Yeah.” 

Zoro acknowledges the response with a nod, attention focused back on his rum.  He refuses to address what that does to his insides, ignoring the heavy beating of his heart in favor of a long, hard swallow.  A hypothetical that doesn’t mean shit anyway. He finishes off his glass, declining another pour when Sanji lowers himself from the pool table and motions towards the bottle.  “Gotta drive,” he states begrudgingly with a roll of his eyes. “Dad’s been strict on that.”

Eyebrows raising in surprise, Sanji retreats the bottle back to its spot among the liquor shelf, commenting along the way, “Nothing’s changed here in the last little while but you sure as shit have.” 

“Cons of living rent free,” Zoro grumbles with a sneer.  “His rules.”

Remembering the horrors of seeing his friend torn up in a hospital bed, Sanji shakes his head and gives Zoro a soulful look. “Nah. I think it’s a good thing.” Then he shrugs, palms in the air as he offers, “But drink up if you want. I could drive you home on the way. Offer’s on the table.” 

Zoro pulls out his keys and lays them on the bar.  “It’s fine,” he declines with a shake of his head. “Goin’ home for movie night?”

Turning off the lights at the bar, Sanji takes a long swallow of beer, finishing off the bottle with a sigh. “Nah. I’ll probably catch the last little bit after I do something.” He places the bottle in one of the beer cases he’d emptied out earlier. “They’ve been messaging me all night, those nerds. Zombies. Not really into it.”

Sanji’s comment catches Zoro’s attention.  He recalls the last movie night he went to.  Sanji didn’t stroll in until late. Nami had pointed it out. One of the few times her nosiness has come in handy.  “Do something, huh?” he implores with a smirk. “What’s that?”

Amused by Zoro’s curiosity, Sanji decides to play a little joke. He checks his phone for the time, twisting his features into a worried expression. “Well, I’m running a little late with a client. We got an arrangement, you could call it. He pays good money for some of this.” He slaps his own ass for emphasis. “New York’s expensive, you know?”

Zoro stares at Sanji for a beat, perplexed until he sees a playful shine in the man’s eyes.  “Bullshit. The only old rich homo around here is my dad.”

Sanji tilts his head, maintaining his smirk as he turns off the last night and beckons Zoro into the kitchen towards the backdoor. Keys singing in his grip, once they’re both outside, he locks the door and lights up a cigarette. Giving Zoro a brief look, he finally answers his question, a plume of smoke escaping parted lips. “I’m going for a drive. Maybe an hour or so away. Just something I do when I wanna think.” 

“Want some company?”

The question almost makes Sanji cough mid-exhale. For some reason, he never expected that offer. His driving time is just that.  _ His. _ It’s never been an aspect of his life he’s anticipated sharing with anyone. That’s why he’s cagey about it with Nami. He just prefers to keep it his own. But now, in this moment, driving off with Zoro into the desert in the middle of the night seems only natural.

“Sure,” he says, sucking back several long pulls from his cigarette, finishing it off quickly and twisting it out on the ground. He tosses it in the garbage bin, twirling his keys around as he waves Zoro over to his Jeep. “C’mon.” 

“I’ll drive,” Zoro redirects, nudging Sanji towards the red pick-up with his shoulder.  When he receives an indignant glare, he smirks. “New adventure.”

Sanji’s shoulders hunch as he strolls alongside Zoro. “Fine. But I’m navigating.” 

“Works for me.”

“I mean it. When I say left, you turn left. When I say right, you turn right!”

Zoro scowls at the man as they approach the truck.  He swings the door open and climbs in, grabbing his specs from the dash.  “Fine.” He jabs the dial to mute the radio, giving Sanji a look over the rim of his glasses.  “No music. Talk or silence.”

Pulling on his seatbelt, Sanji stares at Zoro in bewilderment. “What is it in here, a goddamn library?” 

“My truck, my rules.”

“Fitting. With the reading glasses and all.”

Zoro starts the truck engine and tugs off his glasses.  He noticeably squints towards the dark road as he puts the truck in gear.  “Can take them off.”

Sanji swipes the glasses from Zoro’s grip, prodding them into his chest. “I don’t have a death wish. Put these fuckers back on.” 

Laughing, Zoro accepts the glasses from Sanji’s grip, letting their fingers brush.  No clue what the hell he’s doing, but he knows it feels right. Vision corrected, he presses the gas and peels out of the parking lot.  With Sanji’s guidance, he’s on the main road headed out of town, the street lights growing dimmer as they drive along.

“When’s the last time you got laid?”

Sanji’s head shifts over to get a look at Zoro, trying to get a read on his face after posing a question like that, the sexual tension in the truck now suffocatingly thick. Zoro merely stares forward at the road with a subtle smirk that drives Sanji mad with both annoyance and lust. He rolls down the window and lights up a cigarette, mumbling with a grin, “Do I seem like the celibate type to you?”

“Yep,” Zoro deadpans, studying Sanji out of the corner of his eye.  “That’s why you’re such a tight ass.”

Sanji sticks out his bottom lip slightly, staring at the darkness outside, the lights from Whiskey Peak behind them now. The wind plays with his hair through the open window and he sucks at the filter of his cigarette, trailing smoke outside. “Not like it’s by choice, you know.”

“Could’ve fucked that guy from the party,” Zoro points out, finding it hard to keep his eyes on the road.  He glances over to Sanji briefly before returning his focus to driving. 

Sanji snorts, giving Zoro a tap to the arm. He jokes lightheartedly, “What, so I’m a slut now too?” 

“Nah.”  Zoro swats at Sanji’s hand, grabbing him by the wrist and shoving away playfully.  He keeps ahold of him for a moment, raising an eyebrow as he adds, “Glad you didn’t though.”

Forcefully jerked away from the window, Sanji gives the man curious, amused eyes. “You just wanted me all to yourself,” he flirts in a low, smooth voice, leaning towards him tauntingly.

This time Zoro can’t help himself.  He turns his head and looks Sanji over, mouth going dry at the teasing smirk he receives in response.  He doesn’t remove his hand, instead squeezing lightly as he stares.

Sanji’s lips tug up in a smirk, body alight from that dark, lustful stare. The anticipation of what’s to come is honestly torturous. Not much longer to go, he thinks, turning his eyes to the road ahead, where Zoro’s drifting close to the shoulder. He frees his wrist, placing his hand back in his own lap and hovering the cigarette over his lips.

“Keep your eyes on the road, idiot.” 

Zoro reluctantly returns his hand to the wheel and continues down the empty road, speeding up slightly, knowing what’s likely to come when they arrive.  The thick tension that’s settle between them speaks volumes, despite the silent restlessness they fall into as the old truck barrels on. He knows how bad he wants Sanji, the semi he’s sporting in his shorts can attest to that.  And Sanji’s made it obvious he wants the same. It’s as though the forces of fate are pushing them together. Just like a fish in the water or a bird in the sky, he can’t deny his nature any longer. Won’t be any stopping things tonight, whatever direction they may take.  

It’s not too long before Sanji starts rattling off directions, navigating the truck down a worn dirt road with practiced ease.  There’s not another car in sight, pitch black except for the headlights beaming ahead of them and the bright moon overhead. By the time he’s parked in a clearing and turned the engine off, Zoro’s skin is blazing with desire.  Quickly tossing his glasses on the dash, he twists in his seat to finally get a look at the other man. 

Sanji turns to meet Zoro’s gaze, swallowing at the way the man is devouring him with his eyes. A sudden wave of nerves plays with his stomach, meddling with the fire in his blood. He’s very suddenly feeling the long span of time spent to himself, Zoro’s question from earlier in the forefront of his mind. Getting into his usual mode when out in the desert at night, Sanji smiles softly at Zoro and suggests, “Want to take a look at the stars? Like old times.”

Zoro nods in response, watching as Sanji swiftly opens the door and jumps out of the truck.  Taking advantage of the moment alone, he leans across the seat and rifles through his glove box. He finds what he was looking for and tucks it into his pocket.   Just in case. Smirking to himself, he hops out of the truck and joins Sanji at the back, lowering the tailgate for them to sit.

“Got a couple of sleeping bags,” Zoro suggests as they climb onto the metal, nodding back towards his stash of camping gear illuminated under the bright moonlight.

Sanji nods, saying nothing as they get to work rolling them out onto the bed of the truck. The dry desert air at night is comfortably cool this time of year, not cold enough to make him shiver like in the winter months. Heart in his throat after the sleeping bags are set up, Sanji watches Zoro sit down, legs stretching out to the foot of the truck bed. Sanji slowly positions himself beside him, looking up at the sky at yet another clear night in the desert, unsure of what to do or say. He told himself the ball is in Zoro’s court and as obvious as their mutual intentions are, he doesn’t want to make a wrong move. 

Zoro keeps his gaze to the night’s sky as he feels Sanji settle in next to him.  White shimmering dots coating an ocean of black, clear as the sun on a bright day.  He used to always think the desert was the perfect place to stargaze until he saw them in the Navy.  “Found yourself a good view,” he comments nonchalantly. “Reminds me of when I was out to sea.”

“I started coming here years back. After you left,” Sanji responds, mind drifting to the image of Zoro staring up at a sky as clear as this, alone at night on deserted waters. “It’s neat to think about. Maybe we were staring at the same thing all this time.” 

“Maybe,” Zoro agrees wistfully, a pang hitting him in the chest.  A thought he’s had dozens of times over the years. Willing that feeling away, he instead focuses on how closely Sanji is seated next to him and their conversation from earlier in the truck.  It’s enough to heat his skin again, motivating him to reach over and tug the man against his side.

One arm lifting to wrap around Zoro’s shoulders, Sanji swallows his nerves, feeling all of a sudden very calm with where they are. He stares deeply into Zoro’s eyes, illuminated by a nearly full moon. Leaning closer, he shifts his hand to Zoro’s ear, skimming his fingers over three gold earrings. He says with a hint of wistful play in his tone, “It’s been four years since I’ve let anyone fuck me.”

Pulse racing, Zoro can feel his blood shooting straight south as he’s instantly enticed by Sanji’s words.  He needs to feel more. Now. Arm snaking down around Sanji’s waist, Zoro tugs the man into his lap and presses their bodies close, pleased when those long legs find their way to either side of him.  Completely captivated, his hands caress their way up Sanji’s sides, fondling every inch they can find. Stilling his movements with the very last shred of his willpower, he stares into the playful gleam in the blue eyes gazing at him as he lays out his demand.

“Let me fuck you.”

Sanji figures it’s the closest Zoro will ever come to begging and it has his hips twitching on impulse, wanting to feel more of that hardness pressing against him. Getting a rise out of Zoro always has been one of his favorite past times, it’s fitting that it would translate seamlessly into sexual play. Sanji is invigorated by how quickly Zoro is aroused by him, returning the compliment in kind with a reaction of his own as he smooths his hands over his back and ponders on the perfect reply to make the man go wild. Releasing a sigh that’s wistful enough to be a moan, he hovers over Zoro’s lips and tilts his head to the side, grasping the back of his shirt in a closed fist. 

“I already asked you to fuck me a month ago, asshole.” 

Feeling Sanji’s lips brush against his, Zoro closes the gap and seals their mouths in a fervent kiss.  Lips and tongues moving desperately, the grip on his shirt tighten as Sanji tugs him closer, enticing him to squeeze their bodies flush with a strong arm.  Sanji’s mouth parts and he dives in deeper, tasting every inch as a hardness grinds into him, igniting his body even more. 

Heart beating in his ears, Sanji inhales and moans into a particularly deep kiss as Zoro begins ravishing his mouth. “Do you have any idea --” he gasps against his lips, interrupted by another fierce kiss, causing him to hum before finding another moment to speak, “-- how bad I’ve wanted you to fuck me?” A roll of Zoro’s hips, making him feel restricted in his pants, a true urgent need to get them off. Another break in their liplocking and Sanji keeps going, whispering loftily, “Making myself come at the thought of you?”  

“Fuck,” Zoro growls against Sanji’s mouth, seizing his lips once again passionately.  He’s thought of Sanji so many times too, for so many years, imagining his body beneath him.  His skin is on fire, consumed by his need, erection throbbing with every kiss, every grind. Feeling constricted, he parts their connection just long enough to tear off his t-shirt before pulling Sanji tight against him again, wanting to feel the man’s cool hands against his flesh.

Sanji wraps his legs and arms tighter around Zoro’s bare torso when they reconnect, revelling in the heat of his skin and tautness of his muscular frame. Another brief kiss and Sanji moves his lips to Zoro’s jaw, peppering his skin with his lips, licking and nipping down to his neck. When he reaches up to his ear, Sanji murmurs with smokey cadence, “Making myself come _every --_ _fucking -- night_.”

“ _ Fuck _ .”  Zoro’s hand wrenches between Sanji’s lips and his skin as he sits up, shoving the smirking man onto his back.  One hard yank and Sanji’s t-shirt is removed. Another lower jerk and he’s completely undressed, pale skin glowing under the moonlight.  The urgency of their movements has Zoro’s senses in overdrive, his hardness pressing against the fabric of his shorts with desperation. He wants nothing more than to be inside of Sanji right this instant but knows at this rate he’ll never last.  Trying to savor the moment, Zoro instead digs into his pocket, finding the lube he’d grabbed from the glovebox earlier and slicking his fingers. With a sly grin, he presses a finger against Sanji’s entrance, teasing and prodding as he watches intently for a reaction.

Taking Zoro’s exploring hand in his, Sanji eagerly directs Zoro to push farther, making sure their eyes are connected as the man stretches and prepares him. He wants to give Zoro the message that it won’t be long until he’s fully ready for him. Breaths heavy in excitement, he shifts closer, enveloping his legs around Zoro’s waist and locking himself into what’s to come. His hand shifts up to the hem of Zoro’s shorts, tugging them lightly, needing to see what’s hiding underneath, waiting for him. Another finger enters him and curls upward within, causing Sanji to release an inviting moan. It’s hard to believe the source of his fantasies these past few months is right here before him, splaying him out under the stars. Finally, they are connecting in a way that’s right. Perhaps in a way that should have always been right. Again, he tugs on Zoro’s shorts, this time more urgently, his other hand stroking up the man’s forearm in encouragement. 

Succumbing to the hand pulling at his waist and his own need, Zoro removes his fingers and jerks down his shorts.  He kicks off the clothing, stopping to grab the condom he also tucked into his pocket, ripping it open with his teeth, never once tearing his gaze from Sanji.  Rubber on, he gives Sanji a smirk as he strokes himself lazily, covering himself in lube. The pressure is already building deep in his gut, a symptom of his excitement to finally be inside the man he’s wanted for so long.  Chest heaving, he asks through labored breaths, “You ready?”

Silently amused over the fact that Zoro’s surprisingly considerate and not having it in him to tell him he would have taken him raw -- preferred to even -- Sanji reaches with both hands to pull Zoro down by the neck into a blazing set of kisses. When their lips part, his heart is racing madly and his command is laced with tease: “Do it already.” 

Gripping Sanji by the waist, Zoro positions their bodies, needing to finally be inside.  He slowly slides in, a deep groan releasing from his chest once he’s completely in. He checks in with Sanji, giving him a questioning glance and receiving a teasing grind in response.  Hands gripping Sanji’s thighs, Zoro quickly finds a rhythm, his thrusts starting off slow and escalating with each motion. It’s intoxicating, the rapid pulse raging through his bloodstream leaving him lightheaded, the fire in his heart consuming him completely.  Been wanting this for so goddamn long, wanting to be connected with Sanji in this way, wanting to give him every inch of himself, body and soul. The feeling of Sanji’s warmth wrapped around him, the smell of the sweat dripping from their skin, the lithe body laid out beneath his, the loud moaning filtering through his ears -- it’s overwhelming, enticing Zoro into a much too early end to this perfect moment.  Unable to keep his control, he thrusts deeper, harder, faster, finding himself toppling over the edge before he can rein himself in. Body betraying him, Zoro rides into his climax with a curse under his breath, hold on Sanji’s leg tightening as he finishes.

Arms lifting to wrap around Zoro’s sides and stroke his back, Sanji’s hips are still grooving into the man above, his erection still firm and his body eager for more attention. Noticing how the man had trembled as well as the slow decline of his thrusts, he recognizes what’s happened as Zoro stops moving, his strong body heaving and slick with sweat. Panting lightly and blowing some of the stray hairs from his face, Sanji rubs Zoro’s back reassuringly, getting him to look up and connect their eyes. He cups his jaw with one hand and, amused grin on his face, asks lightheartedly, “Did you come?” 

Zoro tugs out of Sanji’s hold, clenching his eyes shut as he tries to focus on his body in a feeble attempt to use sheer willpower to keep himself hard.  Much to his dismay, years of anticipation have bested him, taking him out of the fight much too early. He sighs with agitation, leaning back and sliding out of Sanji with a nod of his head.  Eyes open, he connects their gazes once again, raising a hand to rub the back of his neck as he releases a dejected laugh. “Usually better at this.”

Sanji’s slow chuckle turns into a short fit of laughs as he hears the unbridled shame in Zoro’s tone. He grabs his face once more to give him wave after wave of cheerful kisses, smiling into every one. Releasing Zoro’s face with of a flick to the forehead, Sanji laughs again and says, “Well, what can I say. I’m flattered.” He sits up on his elbows, enjoying the way Zoro is maintaining a solid grip on his legs. He wants to reassure him that this is really no big deal, even as his cock is aching for release between them. “You felt really good. So good I can wait ‘til you’re ready.” It’s not a lie. Zoro had felt amazing, better than any of his previous partners. He has a lot to look forward to if this is to be their new norm. 

“Ain’t over yet,” Zoro mutters, leaning forward and brushing his lips against Sanji’s jaw.  He releases one of his legs, using the now free hand to snake between them and grip Sanji’s still hard cock, giving it a teasing squeeze.  The gasp Zoro earns from the action serves to repair his pride slightly as his mouth moves down to suck and kiss on Sanji’s neck, exploring every inch of pale skin with his lips.

Grasping at Zoro’s hair with one hand, Sanji closes his eyes as the fire in his blood intensifies once more. Hips grooving into Zoro’s teasing hand, he moans and lightly claws at the man’s back, fully relishing in the blissful feeling of squirming underneath his sheltering body. As Zoro’s sucks and kisses move further south, to his shoulder, chest and navel, it’s the lengthy, twirling lick inside his belly button that has Sanji gasp and open his eyes to a myriad of dazzling stars above them. Mouth parted, he stares in amazement as he drowns in the sensation of Zoro’s firm, calloused hands exploring all over his skin, one hand gripping his cock and a hot tongue licking greedily at its base. The man’s sheer urgency to touch him even after finishing has Sanji’s heart pounding and his body writhing underneath his weight. 

It’s when Zoro takes him whole in his mouth that it dawns on Sanji -- finally he’s connecting with someone under the gaze of these stars. All those years staring at them like he was the smallest person in the world are long forgotten right now between them. Here he is looking up at them in the present with someone who wants to make him feel good, important and a little less alone. It’s only fitting that that someone should be Zoro, who had been watching these skies miles upon miles away at sea during their time apart. Who had watched them by Sanji’s side as far back as he can remember.

Zoro lifts his gaze to study Sanji’s face as he continues sucking and teasing him with his tongue.  His head is tilted back, eyes up at the stars, completely illuminated under the bright light of the moon over head.  Zoro’s other hand creeps lower, finding Sanji’s entrance and pressing two fingers in, needing to make the man putty in his hands.  He engraves every buck and sigh in his mind, mapping out each motion’s reaction, storing the information away should he get the chance to do this again.  Could be a dream -- to finally have the person he’s wanted for so long slowly coming undone as he continues fingering and sucking and exploring every sweet spot he can reach.  But he know it’s as real as the hips thrusting into his mouth desperately meeting every bob of his head with a breathy moan and the hand tugging at his hair when he adds another digit deep inside.

“Zoro. There!” Sanji cries out desperately when the man’s fingertips stroke against his prostate. His thighs clench around Zoro’s head, rolling his hips in urgency, fire building up inside as a sheen of sweat gathers over his skin. Zoro continues rubbing along within him at a malicious pace and Sanji focuses on the sensation wholeheartedly, his desire to come a frantic need now. Tearing his eyes from the sky, he looks to Zoro who’s briefly stopped sucking and has taken to watching him, smirking at him lewdly, dark eyes gleaming in the moonlight and eating Sanji up in the best possible way. The man is leering at him as his fingers don’t slow and his pumping doesn’t relent whatsoever. Zoro then goes down on him again, swirling his tongue along the head of his cock before taking him fully to the back of his throat. Sanji throws back his head, overwhelmed by the sight and feeling, submerging himself in the intensity of his imminent orgasm. He’s so fucking close. Unable to hold back any longer after Zoro presses his finger  _ hard _ inside him, Sanji taps his shoulder to warn him but the man doesn’t budge. Panting frantically, Sanji gasps out, “Oh  _ god _ , that feels good, Zoro! Fuck, I’m gonna come!”

Sanji’s hips buck into Zoro’s mouth, fingers desperately digging into his shoulder as the body writhing beneath him reaches peak.  Zoro doesn’t remove his lips, swallowing every drop that splashes onto his tongue as Sanji’s final moans echo across the vast desert.  He gives the man a moment to calm down before he finally releases him, sitting up and wiping the sweat from his brow. He finds the spent condom from earlier and tosses it aside, one hand clumsily tugging on his shorts before he falls next to Sanji, back hitting the sleeping bag as he releases a satisfied sigh.

Arms resting laxly on his chest, Sanji is still panting as Zoro rests beside him, basking in the sinking feeling of his comedown. Sighing blissfully, he raises his hand to wipe his forehead and drift it back across his hairline, combing through damp strands. He then sits up to rustle around for his pants and find his cigarettes and lighter, giving Zoro’s ankle an affectionate squeeze as he does. After successfully lighting up a smoke, he lays back down on his side, hand finding the far end of Zoro’s torso and pulling himself against him, nestling close to his chest with a long, pleasured exhale. Legs weaving around Zoro’s, Sanji sucks in a puff of smoke, blowing it up towards the stars as they lay together in lazy comfortable silence and enjoy the afterglow, tensions relieved beyond imagination.

A slight breeze cools Zoro’s heated skin as he lies on his back, eyes turned to the stars, reveling in this moment that he’d never thought he’d get.  Sanji’s curled up against his side, hair tickling his shoulder as they remain silent underneath the night sky. He knows in the quiet of his mind that he’ll have to consider what all of this may mean but that’s tomorrow’s problem.  Right now all he wants to do is lay here and enjoy the present. Just  _ be _ , with Sanji’s body against his.  For the first time in a long time, the gnawing discontent in his gut is gone, replaced with a peaceful serenity, soothed entirely by the man at his side.

Sweat on his skin cooling from the light passing wind, Sanji readjusts closer to Zoro’s body heat as a shiver runs through him. He lifts his head in surprise as his friend -- his whatever he is to him now -- reaches past his shoulder to pull over the opened sleeping bag as a blanket. A warm palm appears at his arm, stroking up and down to help supply some temporary heat. Sanji smirks to himself, musing over the gesture and on Zoro’s observant nature in general. Taking a long drag and burning out the last bit of life from his cigarette, Sanji frees his arm from Zoro’s grip and crushes it against the metal of the truck bed behind them, knowing the man won’t mind. Hand resting against the rise and fall of Zoro’s bare chest, he taps his fingers lightly there, subconsciously feeling for imperfections under his fingertips. 

“Zoro Roronoa,” Sanji articulates slowly, letting the syllables ooze of his tongue as his lips curl up in a grin. “Premature ejaculator. Who’d of thought.” 

Zoro scowls, still ashamed of his less than impressive performance, the peaceful moment immediately lost with Sanji opening his big stupid mouth.  “Shut up,” he growls as he shifts his arm to cover the smirking man’s lips with his hand. “Off day. Won’t be so lucky next time, blondie.”

“Yeah, yeah. Looking forward to it, greenie,” Sanji responds, voice muffled as he struggles to push Zoro’s palm off his mouth.  

The corners of Zoro’s lips turn up in a sly grin as he digests Sanji’s quip.  So he wants a next time too. Moving his arm back around Sanji’s shoulder, he glances to his chest, long fingers still mindlessly tracing his scar as they talk.  He nods to the deformity. “Feels weird, huh?”

“Yeah. It’s soft. Always thought it’d be rough,” Sanji comments quietly, recalling the way it looked years back, in that hospital bed. Like it would never heal clean. He vividly remembers how scary it had been to look at and the terror it made him feel. He’s never really had a chance to trace over it like this, analysing its texture. His roaming hands pause briefly as he divulges: “You want to know something, Zoro? Since we’re coming clean about things and shit. That really scared me back then.” 

“The accident?” Zoro clarifies as he strokes Sanji’s shoulder underneath the cover of the sleeping bag.

“No, your limp dick,” Sanji says sarcastically, raising his head slightly before resting it back down. “Of course the accident, idiot.” 

Zoro gives Sanji’s skin a hard pinch, grinning smugly when a knobby knee hits his shin in retaliation.  His mind wanders back to the accident. “Was a tough time,” he agrees thoughtfully, knowing full well how worried Sanji and his other friends were when it happened.   His free hand covers Sanji’s, gripping it over the scar. “Feel like a walking billboard for drunk driving.”

Sanji releases a short laugh at the imagery Zoro provokes. “Was worried you hadn’t learned a damn thing all these years. But I’m glad you’re proving me wrong,” he expresses, raising a brow as he replays the latter part of his sentence in his head. “Never thought I’d say  _ those _ words.”

“I prove you wrong all the time, dumbass.”

“Please. Tonight you would’ve driven us to Tucson if I hadn’t steered you clear.” 

“Maybe I wanted to go to Tucson,” Zoro returns with a huff, growing damn tired of Sanji’s snarky mouth.  At least he’s not making dick jokes anymore. Just as he’s thinking of a good insult to lob back at the man, a coyote howls in the distance causing the thin frame in his arms to immediately tense.  “Scared?” he asks with a chuckle, prodding Sanji’s shoulder teasingly. “Just an overgrown pup.”

“They’re harmless,” Sanji replies with a huff, having researched the creatures thoroughly since his experiences out here as a child. He shrugs Zoro’s hand off his shoulder, mumbling quietly, “But that sound they make will always creep me out. Since...well, you know.”

Zoro nods, turning his eyes back up to the stars, understanding what Sanji’s referencing.  Years and years before his own drunk driving incident, Sanji had an incident of his own. When they were kids, elementary school.  Did exactly what their dads always warned against on every camping trip, hike, and afternoon stroll -- got lost in the desert. Easily could’ve died during that week while everyone was looking for him.  Zoro examines the night sky with intensity, trying to imagine himself as a child lost beneath such a vast, black vacuum. “Y’know, my dad wouldn’t let me look for you.”

“Not surprised. Sure he didn’t want his son lost out here too,” Sanji replies, lip jutting out slightly. This is a topic he never expounds on with anyone, not even when he’d been hospitalized afterwards, and they all know it. It’s the biggest source of shame in his life. Yet for some reason, for once in his life, he wants to get this off his chest. He peers up at the stars, remembering how beautiful they were even while stranded out here as a boy. That fact never changed. “I was a stupid kid, drifting out here on my own. Selfish. Running away like that.” 

Shifting slightly, Zoro tears his gaze from the sky to glance down at Sanji, eyebrow raised.  The man doesn’t meet his eyes, instead continues to rest his head on his shoulder and stare into the distance.  A part of him always wondered if Sanji had truly gotten lost all those years back. “Ran --” Zoro starts, stopping himself as it dawns on him that it’s not really any of his business.  Except Sanji seems to be willing to make it his business. He’s never heard his friend talk about it so much before. And after their strange night of new experiences, he decides to roll with it, continuing, “-- away?”

“Yeah. I ran away,” Sanji reveals. It’s something he’d kept a secret along with his dad. At the time, everyone in town was under the impression -- still under that same impression -- that what had happened had been some accident. That was a lie and he’d kept face with that lie all these years. “Those asshole kids at school, mom dying -- I don’t know. Something in me broke. I packed up and took off. Like it didn’t mean shit to anyone. Selfish.” He pauses, fondling Zoro’s scar once more. “So that’s why I come out here. To think. Relive those mistakes and...I guess remind myself never to make those mistakes again.”

Zoro squeezes Sanji against him tighter, hand running up and down his shoulder slowly.  “Might’ve run away,” he says bluntly, eyes finding the stars again. “But you were lost.”  A pause. “I’m glad you were found.”

Sanji takes in a deep breath, closing his eyes and feeling more at home than ever before. He presses his cheek further into Zoro chest, wrapping his arms around him tighter. A barrier. That’s what he’d come to see Zoro as in elementary school, when they were boys. A pang in his heart, he expresses gently, “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Looking out for me back then. Defending me from those kids. For being kind,” Sanji answers, opening his eyes again to get another view of the stars, fingers still tracing over Zoro’s scar. “Sometimes I wonder if you hadn’t, I don’t know if I’d have found myself at all, in the end.” 

Zoro remains silent, letting Sanji’s words coat him like a blanket.  The embers are glowing bright within his chest and he wants nothing more than to tell the man lying in his arms how important he is.  And how loved he is. Tonight has validated the feelings he’s hung onto for the last decade. But it’s also solidified his need to keep them silent and stowed away.  Sanji can’t stay in this town, in this desert, in this place that opens such deep wounds. Zoro clenches his jaw, swallowing back every word that’s on the tip of his tongue.  Sanji needs to go to New York and do what he’s always dreamed of. He won’t stand in the way of that. All he can do is nod in response, letting the sad hollow ache in his heart replace the warmth that was emanating mere seconds ago.  It’s the only way.

Sanji sighs, his eyes drooping closed once more, fatigue taking him over from the night. Been a long time since he’s gotten laid. Been even longer since he opened up emotionally like this. He’s so comfortable in Zoro’s arms, warmed by his body. He doesn’t want to move an inch.  “You good to sleep out here tonight?” he asks tiredly. Out here, in the desert under the stars. Personally, he’d have it no other way.

Painstakingly aware that tomorrow means he’ll have to sort out the consequences of their night, Zoro quickly agrees to hang onto the moment as long as he can.  Waking up next to Sanji is all he’s dreamt of. He’d do anything for just this one night.

“Yeah.”    
  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you guys enjoyed! sorry to have updated this one slowly -- i (riotoftime) have been out of town for work and a lazy bum. thank you for the continued comments and support :)


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Riotoftime is back from her business trip so we'll have more time to write now. We're excited to progress this fic into this next portion. 
> 
> This chapter is trash on another level. But we love it and hopefully so will you.

 

 

September 4.

Zoro scowls as he jogs under the beating sun, the date playing over and over in his mind.  He never remembers birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, major events. Hell, he’s not even sure what today is.  But he knows September 4. It’s been on his mind all morning, ever since he dropped Sanji off at the bar after their late night under the stars.  He keeps his gaze steady on the rocky skyline, sneakers pounding the pavement, sweat pouring down his back and face.

Sanji’s new life starts on September 4.

Childhood memories flood Zoro’s mind as he rounds the corners of his dad’s neighborhood, passing familiar houses and street signs in a rapid pace.  Sanji had a cookbook with him the first time they met, sitting tucked away at a corner table in Zeff’s. First poker night his dad went to after they’d settled into their new routine.  Zoro smirks, recalling fondly how Mrs. Canard had to coax Sanji away from the recipes to make friends. His love for cooking seems to have only grown in the decades since then.

A part of him was surprised when he learned that Sanji had stayed in their dusty, old town after high school.  He thought this would’ve been his path right away. After their talk last night, Zoro can only assume the shame he heard in his friend’s explanation of his childhood misadventure in the desert is apart of why he’s still here.  Remnants of another conversation waft into his mind -- the one they had at Zeff’s his first night back. Sanji’s discontentment with his life here. It’s become increasingly apparent that going out into the world and chasing this dream is the best thing his friend can do.  And he’s not going to let a goddamn thing stand in the way of that.

Especially not what happened last night.

He doesn’t take himself for an emotionally intelligent man.  But he is self-aware. Last night wasn’t just some innocent hook-up between two horny friends.  It was a triumph, a milestone, the ribbon-cutting ceremony of a lifelong dream. At least that’s how it felt, deep inside.  When he woke up with Sanji in his arms, he was the happiest man alive, if only short lived. The reality of their situation distressingly bittersweet.  

Zoro slows his momentum, glancing around for a marker to help him decide his next turn.  Spotting a familiar mailbox, he sets off left, continuing his run. He needs Sanji to believe last night meant nothing to him.  Brow furrowing, he sprints off faster, pushing his limit as he climbs up the hill that leads home. Feels shitty lying like that but there’s no other choice.  Last thing he wants to do is admit to his feelings and risk them influencing Sanji to stay. If they keep flirting or fucking or whatever, it’s going to have to be mutually emotionless.  Fuck buddies. He’s done that before. Easy enough if he ignores the feelings that have built up over the years. Managed to do it the whole time in the Navy. Shouldn’t be too hard to do again.

He locates his truck in the distance, frowning as it serves as a reminder to what happened only last night.  Could be easier to just break things off completely. No flirting. No fucking. No teasing banter. Nothing.  But that seems like a coward’s decision. He should be able to do what he wants without pesky emotions getting away.  He’ll swallow it down, tuck it away, and move forward. He’ll let Sanji choose. If they want to be friends with benefits, one last summer before going separate ways, then that’s what they’ll do.  But he needs to make sure the man knows that’s all it can be.

Zoro’s jog slows to a brisk walk as he heads up the driveway, chest heaving and beads of sweat rolling down his temple.  Cool air conditioning hits him as soon as he opens the door, his dad glancing up from his book to peer at him with a raised brow.  

“You’ve been gone for two hours.”

“Hard run,” Zoro responds through labored breaths, walking past the piercing gaze to the kitchen.  He grabs a bottle of water from the fridge and chugs it down, releasing a satisfied sigh once empty.

“Don’t stink up my kitchen.”

Zoro ignores the nagging with a shrug as he heads down the hall, stopping in his room to grab some clothes for his shower.  His phone catches his attention from where it lies on the dresser. Better get this out of the way.

 

 **Zoro Roronoa:**  Fuck buddies?  I’m game if you are.

 

He pauses, tapping his finger on the back of the device.  Better not to leave room for other options.

 

 **Zoro Roronoa:**  Or just friends?

 

The aroma of coffee brewing fills the kitchen as Sanji is thoroughly whisking eggs, wanting to make it up to Nami for not replying to her texts last night. He’d left his phone in the front of Zoro’s truck and didn’t see the texts until this morning when the two of them drove back to town. She’s still sleeping, but the smell of coffee tends to pull her out of bed.

He keeps catching himself smiling unconsciously as he goes through the motions of preparing Nami’s favorite avocado omelettes, his body wholeheartedly dedicated to the task but his mind stuck in that desert. Stuck under the stars with Zoro last night. He’s hesitant to admit it, but the whole thing had been pretty romantic. He’s damn sure Zoro hadn’t intended it to be but there’s no denying how it’d made his heart flutter -- how it’s still doing things to his heartbeat this very morning.

Sanji isn’t naive though. He knows this is playing with a dangerous kind of fire. The kind that could burn his aspirations to the ground. And worst case scenario, as he’d learned from Ace years ago, a kind of wildfire that would make ashes of his heart.

At the kitchen table, Sanji hears his phone vibrate. Hands messy and still in the thick of preparing various ingredients, he ignores it for the time being, even as it goes off a second time. Two messages, not a call. It can wait.

He tightly clasps the spatula in his hand, holding it down to the counter and closing his eyes with a deep set frown.

No, Sanji isn’t naive, but he might be stupid. As much as his desire for Zoro has climbed through the roof since the man came back home and as much as he’s satisfied those urges, his decision to follow his dreams in New York should have changed all that. It should have strengthened his resolve, not weakened it. Now he finds himself wavering as his childhood friend is looming closer and closer to his heart. The first sprout of life crawling through charred destruction.

It was just one night, he keeps telling himself. Who knows what will happen now. Maybe they’ll keep fucking, maybe they won’t. He’s getting ahead of himself catching feelings from one night. Sanji shakes his head with a smirk. Hell, Zoro probably just wanted to get his dick wet. Something Sanji wouldn’t blame him for at all, yet if that were really how Zoro viewed things, he has to admit it would sting a little. And it’s a dangerous thing to admit.

It’s dangerous because a part of him still wants to stay home where it’s comfortable, where he can take care of his old man who likes to drink too much. Where he can listen to Luffy playing pinball in the dive bar he grew up in, where he can keep making breakfast and low-fat cookies for Nami. Stopping in at the cafe to catch Usopp or Chopper for a chat. Home where he can visit his mother and talk to her about how his week’s been, which old friend had stopped in at the bar recently. The weak part of him that wants to stay here in Whiskey Peak where he could entertain the possibility of more than two months to explore his spark with Zoro.

Sanji sighs, tilting his knife, sliding the sliced avocados into the middle of the omelette and folding it over. He doesn’t know what the fuck he’s going to do. Last night with Zoro was amazing and it’s thoroughly fucking with his mind. His head perks up at the sound of slow footsteps descending on the stairs. He smiles gently. At least for the time being, he can still light Nami’s face up in the morning with freshly brewed coffee and something to eat.

“Good morning, Nams,” Sanji greets softly, plating her food and setting it down on the kitchen table. He pulls the chair back, giving her a comfortable smile as she enters the room. “Coffee?”

“Please,” Nami responds through a yawn, eyes scanning the kitchen as she takes a seat.  “Coffee and my favorite breakfast?” she asks with a sly grin, resting her chin on her palm as she watches Sanji fetch her morning brew.  “Smells like guilt. Where were you last night?”

Sanji smiles nervously, gesturing for her to sit down before twisting to grab the pot of coffee. “I was just out. Nothing to report.”

“You don’t usually stay out all night,” Nami points out, tapping manicured nails against her cheek.  “Where did you sleep?”

Bringing over the coffee, Sanji pours into Nami’s mug on the table. He frowns slightly. There’s no real point in hiding anything as much as he’d prefer to keep it secret for now. It’s going to get out eventually. It’s just all so new. But lying to Nami is never an option. “I was out with Zoro,” he admits, clearing his throat awkwardly and shrugging as he turns again to fetch the cream from the fridge. “He came to the bar last night. We went for a drive to the desert and ended up staying out there.”

Nami hums in acknowledgement, wrapping her fingers around her favorite orange mug as soon as Sanji sets it down.  She takes a slow sip, calculating eyes never once leaving his face. Lowering the cup, she sighs gently and probes, “Did you hook-up?”

Placing the cream on the table along with napkins and cutlery, Sanji slinks into his spot across from her, his resigned expression and flushed cheeks not hiding anything. “Yeah. It just sort of...happened.”

“Shut up! Shut _up!”_ Nami cackles cheerfully, pleased expression spreading across her face.  “That did _not_ just ‘happen.’ You two have had goo-goo-eyes for each other since he’s been home.”

Sanji laughs, running a hand through his hair. “I guess it didn’t happen out of thin air, no.” He picks up his dark blue mug and takes a sip. “Still surprised me.”

“I honestly thought you guys were gonna do it that night he told us about the break-up,” Nami muses with a smirk.  “But then he left too fast.”

Nodding, Sanji puts down his coffee with a smile. He thought she might’ve heard what was going on that night in his room. “I thought so too, but he left before it got very far. It was too soon since Law, I think.”

“I can’t wait to tell Usopp.”  Nami’s face lights up, mischief flashing in her eyes.  “He owes me forty bucks!’”

“You bet on it?” Sanji asks, surprised and embarrassed. “Were we that obvious?”

Nami leans across the table, patting his hand sympathetically.  “Oh, Sanji. I don’t want to hurt your feelings but yes, _you_ were.  At least to me.”  She gives him a knowing smile.  “Usopp didn’t believe me though, if that makes you feel better.”

Sanji shakes his head as he goes for another sip. “It’s not weird, is it?” he inquires gently, continuing after a quick swallow of coffee. “We’ve known each other since we were kids and all.”

“He was gone for like seven years.”  She pauses, studying him seriously. “Is it weird to you?”

“When he first came home and I started seeing him that way, it was. But it’s not weird now.”

“He’s big and dumb and smelly,” Nami comments, scrunching up her nose.  “ _That’s_ what’s weird.  He’s so different from…you know.”

“Yeah. He’s definitely different from him,” Sanji agrees, sliding a fork over to Nami, prompting her to eat before it gets cold. “I won’t make that mistake again. I don’t know. It’s Zoro. You know, it turns out he wasn’t all that serious with Law anyway. So this time around I know what I’m getting myself into, at least.”

“Not surprising.”  Nami rolls her eyes, gaze stalling on Sanji’s phone. She leans over, checking the screen as it lights up with a notification.  “Prince Charming is texting you already,” she remarks with a playful smirk, pointing at the device with her fork. “ _God_ I can’t believe I was right about you two!  I’m _so_ good.”

Eyes curious, Sanji slides his iphone over to himself and unlocks the screen, seeing two messages from Zoro lit on his notifications.

 

 **Zoro Roronoa:**  Fuck buddies?  I’m game if you are.

 **Zoro Roronoa** :  Or just friends?

 

He purses his lips as he reads them, thumbs hesitant over the keypad, searching his mind for a response. After Ace, Sanji learned fucking a friend is always a bad idea. There are always complications, no matter how simple the rules. But hell, it’s been refreshing to feel connected to someone after so long. He wonders if he can bend that rule he made for himself, if just for this summer. He’s so desperate for change at this point, _any_ change, to the point that it’s giving him the courage to play with fire again. He’s older and smarter since Ace and he’s spent a lot of time single getting to know himself. Sanji’s fairly certain he can handle whatever Zoro throws at him and filter out his emotions. So long as he keeps his sights on New York, this can be a summer fling or nothing or whatever it needs to be. Anything but serious.

Which is probably exactly how Zoro wants it anyway. He hates the subtle disappointment in his gut as his fingers tap away at the screen.

 

 **Sanji Canard** : Let’s just have fun. ;)

 **Zoro Roronoa** :  Good.  See you later.

 

Sanji smirks, putting his phone away. Zoro will probably pop by the bar tonight. Hell, at least he’s going to get laid for the time he’s got left at home. Got nothing to complain about.

“Thanks for breakfast,” Nami says as she lays down her fork, picking up her mug and standing to leave the kitchen.  She pauses in the doorway, glancing over her shoulder. “I’m glad you’re finally getting laid, lover boy.”

Sanji’s mouth pulls into a grin as she thumps up the stairs, probably to get ready for her day. His fingers tap slowly at his mug, staring at it in a trance as he reflects on last night once more. “Yeah, me too,” he says quietly to himself before standing to get started on dishes.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Eggplant!  Grab us another round!”

Sanji huffs from the kitchen as he hears his old man barking at him from the back end of the other room. Poker night yet again. In other words, too many drunk old men in the bar cramping his style as he’s getting ready to close. Throwing down the cloth he’s wiping down the kitchen line with, he walks briskly over to the swinging door and slams into the bar. Giving his dad a glare from across the room as he begins preparing their drinks, he says exasperatedly, “Maybe if you’d cleaned the kitchen properly I’d be up here watching your drinks, lazy old fart.”

“These old legs aren’t as spry as they used to be,” Zeff retorts with a thump of his prosthetic.

While pouring Stella, Sanji rolls his eyes. “That’s got nothing to do with your hands.”

“Old men like me can’t be standing back there all day, eggplant,” Zeff says gruffly, slamming down his empty glass.

Shanks laughs heartily from the opposite end of the table. “Come join us for a game, little duckling!”

Sanji stalks over, tray in hand as he sets down Shanks’ glass of Kraken rum neat. Considering the invitation, he takes a look at the red haired man’s hand from behind his shoulder, seeing to his displeasure a pair of aces. He shakes his head, placing the pint of Stella in front of Mihawk.  “I’ll join in a bit.”

“Thank you, young man,” Mihawk acknowledges as Sanji sets down his drink.  He turns to Zeff, frowning as he organizes his cards. “You’re a lucky man, Canard.  My worthless son still doesn’t have a job.” A long sigh. “He just lounges around my house, utterly useless.  I’ve run out of chores for him to do.”

“Send him up here,” Zeff retorts gruffly, stroking his mustache as he studies his hand.  “I’ve got plenty for him to do.”

“Oh I’m sure that pain in the ass will show up right at close like usual,” Sanji says dully.

“Yes but unfortunately, the time he spends up here is  _unpaid_.”  Mihawk takes a sip of his beer, frowning into the glass.  “No discipline, that one.”

“Lighten up, Hawky,” Shanks says with a laugh, leaning over and punching Mihawk’s shoulder playfully.  “He grew up fast in the Navy. Give him a break.”

“I joined the service at his age,” Mihawk sniffs, scowling at Shanks’ hand on his shoulder.  “No one gave me a break.”

“And look at you now, you stuffy old bird.”

Mihawk’s frown deepens as Zeff’s laugh thunders across the bar.  He lays down his hand, taking out his revenge with a full house. “At least I’m a rich ‘stuffy old bird’,” he states calmly, sliding the poker chips to his pile as Shanks swears under his breath.  “Your aces mean nothing to me.”

By the time the front door opens, Sanji has the bottle of Captain Dark ready in one hand and a tumbler glass in the other. “Right on schedule,” he greets to Zoro, who is grimacing in the direction of the poker table. “Sorry about the old man smell.”

Zoro’s gaze connects with the glare of his pops, who gives him a disapproving frown.  He slides onto his normal stool, immediately swallowing back the drink Sanji’s poured for him.  “One old bastard too many,” he comments as he pushes the empty glass away, motioning for another.  “Might have to leave.”

“You and me both,” Sanji concedes with a sigh. He leans closer over the bar, suggesting quietly, “Stay for a bit. Could always take another ‘drive’ out to the desert after?”

“Deal.”

“Hawk Junior! Play a round with us!” Shanks calls over loudly, thumping the table with a flat palm in excitement.

“Make it at triple,”  Zoro orders tersely before pushing away from the bar and heading to the table.  He wants nothing more than to beat his dad in a round of poker. He drags a chair to the edge of the table where Zeff and Shanks have made space, straddling it as he rests his arms on the back.  “Deal me in.”

“Can’t you sit in a chair like a civilized person?” Mihawk grouses with a click of his tongue, shuffling the cards deftly.

“You coming, little duckling?” Shanks calls back to the bar.

Front locked up, sign unplugged and a gin and tonic already fixed, Sanji strolls over and pulls up a chair between Mihawk and Shanks. “Yeah, I’m in,” he says with a grin, sitting down and swinging one leg over the other.

Zoro watches as his dad deals, knowing after years of poker nights at this very table that the three of them play Five Card Stud.  He grabs a couple chips from Shanks’ pile to pay in his and Sanji’s ante. Payback for the Hawk Junior comment. Hands dealt, they begin the process of betting.  Zeff hands Sanji a small pile of chips to bet with, his own father doing the same.

“Heard you’re still job hunting,” Shanks says thoughtfully as he counts out his chips.  When Zoro nods in response, he continues. “I know a guy who does contract work for the schools.  He’s always hiring when the year starts. Think you’d be interested?”

“Maybe.  What kind of work?” Zoro inquires as he throws in his bet.

“Since when is a bum choosey about potential work?” Sanji quips, studying his cards and tossing in his bet. He throws Zoro a cheeky expression as he settles back into his chair.

“A blasted good question.” Mihawk nods approvingly in Sanji’s direction, eyebrow raised as he deals the next set of cards.

Zoro scowls at them both.  “Schools. Kids,” he explains with a roll of his eyes.  He returns his attention to Shanks. “That kind of shit?”

“No, no,” Shanks clarifies with a shake of his head.  “Maintenance. Electrical and plumbing.”

“Yeah, I’m interested,” Zoro responds with a sharp nod, relieved to hear the offer is in his wheelhouse.

“Wouldn’t be available until the Fall,” Shanks warns as he ups his bet.

“Works for me.”

“That’s two months away,” Mihawk says tersely, seemingly losing interest in the game in favor of talking about Zoro’s job prospects.  “What will you do until then?”

“Dunno.”

“Told you, Mihawk,” Zeff chimes in, matching Shanks’ bet.  “Got plenty to do around here.”

“Sure that’s a good idea?” Sanji asks, tossing in more chips. He nods to Zoro’s already empty glass. “He’ll drink us outta business.”

“Stayed in business when you boys were teenagers,” Zeff retorts with a low chuckle.  “Remember trying to sneak drinks from the bottles, cactus?”

“Trying?” Zoro answers with a smirk, thinking back fondly to their high school days.  “Think I succeeded a few times.”

“More than a few times,” Sanji chimes in, shifting his cards around in his hands. “Sorry to break it to you old man. Don’t know if we can trust this thief.”

Another deal and Mihawk folds, much to Zoro’s pleasure.  “Brats,” he says with a grin, taking a strong drink from his beer.  “I’ll never forget the time Sanji accidentally drank my wine thinking it was juice.”  He chuckles lightly. “Remember that, son? You were only seven or so. Sora let me have it for that one.”

Sanji smiles gently at the thought of his mom scolding Mihawk over that many years ago. He puts down his cards a moment as he laughs with a crooked grin, pulling out a cigarette and lighting up. “Not sure I remember. My first real drink and all.”

“Oughta quit smoking, eggplant. Ruin your tastebuds.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll quit when you learn how to wipe down a kitchen line.”

“Brat.”

“Shitty old man.”

They go through the motions of the final deals, Zeff folding at the fourth betting round.  Shanks sweeps the pot with a straight, laughing as he swipes the chips into his spot. “Thanks for helping me win their money, boys,” he cheerily gloats, nodding at Sanji and Zoro.  “Knew you two would bring me luck.”

“Yeah, I’ll be asking you for some luck next time,” Sanji grumbles, tossing his cards down onto the table. He checks his phone for the time, standing up to collect empty glasses from the table. “Staying for more or about time to call it a night?”

Mihawk pulls out his wallet, frowning as he counts his cash.  “No more cards for me.” He glances at his watch and calls over to the bar, “But I’ll take another Stella.  And fill up Zoro’s glass, too.”

Cigarette bobbing in his mouth, Sanji politely replies, “Sure thing, Mr. Mihawk.”

“Another for me!” Shanks shouts over boisterously, hand out for Mihawk and Zeff to pay-up on the game.  “And your old man will need a strong one after I clean his wallet!”

Pouring another double shot of Kraken, Sanji nods, “You got it, Mr. Lucky.” He carries over everyone’s drinks and sets them down before resting back in his seat, twisting out his cigarette in the ashtray. He turns to Mihawk with a curious grin. “So mom let you have it, huh?”

Mihawk takes a sip of his beer, a small grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.  “Your mother was a kind soul but she was very watchful of you.” He sets down his beer and shares a glance with Zeff.  “The only reason she let you boys play on poker nights was because she was right behind the bar.”

Zoro swallows back his rum, remembering the presence Sanji’s mom had behind at bar when he was a kid.  She was always ready with drinks or snacks when they came for poker night, would even entertain Luffy’s antics on the nights he showed up with Garp.  A memory suddenly pops into his mind. “She got the pinball machine, right?”

“Wanted to put us out of business with that,” Zeff supplies, tilting his glass back for a long swallow. He juts his thumb over his shoulder to the pinball machine in the corner.  “Ended up finding that rundown hunk-a-junk for a fair price. Garp’s little twerp has been in love ever since.”

“Saw him up here playing it the other night,” Shanks says with a laugh, red bangs covering his eyes as he shakes his head.  “Some things never change. He had a friend playing it with him this time.”

“Tall and gloomy?”  Zoro asks with a grin.

“That’s the one. Reminded me of your dad here,” Shanks points to Mihawk, cackling.

“I beg your pardon.”

“That was Law,” Zoro explains with a smug smile, watching his dad for a reaction.  The old man has always thought Law was so ‘poised’ and shit.

“Trafalgar?” Mihawk questions with a frown.  “I’m surprised he enjoys the company of that one.”  He rubs his temples, shaking his head. “Garp’s boy has always been a handful.  No wonder he looks up to you, Shanks.”

Zoro swallows back the rest of his drink, catching Sanji’s eye when he lowers his glass.  The man gives him a knowing smirk. They’ve listened to his dad and Shanks bicker for years.  Always been something between them. He doesn’t like to spend too much time thinking about it.

“Looks like you drunk fools need a ride home,” Mihawk announces with a sigh, beer empty as he gestures to the two other men.  He pulls out some bills from his wallet and lays them on the table neatly for Sanji. “Let’s get you dropped off, Canard.”

Cheeks flushed with inebriation as he sits back, Zeff pats his stomach heartily. “Still got room for more. Stay for another, Hawk!”

“I’d much rather have a glass of wine,” Mihawk responds with a frown as he stands from the table.  “Last call for a ride.”

“I’ll take you up on that,” Shanks says with a raised hand, sharing a look with Mihawk.

“You drive a hard bargain,” Zeff relents with a sigh, heaving himself up from the table and stumbling slightly as he heads towards the door.  “Make sure you clean up, Sanji,” he barks as follows Shanks and Mihawk to the door. “And lock up behind us.”

“Only been doing this practically my entire life,” Sanji drolls sarcastically. “Thanks again.” He nods to Zoro’s dad who nods back before exiting.

Zoro watches as the door closes behind the group, standing to lock it again.  Never thought they’d leave. He twists to return to the table, eyes locking with Sanji’s. Tension thickens between them, the quiet stillness surrounding the space making it obvious that they’re finally alone.  He takes long strides across the bar, quick to grab Sanji by the front of his shirt and tug him into a searing kiss.

Sanji’s hands find fistfulls of Zoro’s shirt as he kisses back roughly, breathing heavily through his nose. Having something fun in mind for them tonight, he continues making out for several more moments before shoving them apart, hands gripping Zoro’s shoulders tightly. He licks his lips, enticing him with a soft tone, “You’re quick to the punch, huh?”

“Don’t want it?” Zoro teases with a smirk, leaning in to steal another kiss.  He’s met with pressure pushing him back, causing him to tug away and study Sanji’s expression.  Finding a hint of playfulness shining in his eyes, Zoro decides to take the bait, intrigued. “Whatcha got in mind?”

Sanji slides his hand up Zoro’s neck, swooping through his hair and pausing over his earrings. He keeps his eyes locked onto the other man’s irises as he suggests, “I was thinking, since we’ve agreed to keep things fun, let’s get to know each other better with a game.”

Zoro leans back, raising an eyebrow.  “Known each other for twenty years.”

Sanji’s expression falls flat. “As if you’d kiss me like that twenty years ago.”

Zoro takes a step away, retrieving his abandoned glass from the poker table.  He needs booze for this. “But I would’ve ten years ago. Thought we settled that yesterday.”

Sighing, Sanji puts a hand to his hip as he explains, “I meant a drinking game. You know. Like the first time we almost fucked? ‘Cause we’re clearly not making it out of here tonight.”

Zoro pauses from where he’s standing behind the bar, eyes searching the bottles for a new liquor.  He smirks. That was a fun night. Could be interesting. His hand ghosts the neck of a bottle of whiskey before it shifts to the tequila, not sparing Sanji a glance as he implores further, “Rules?”

Sanji takes a seat in front of the bar, crossing one leg over the other. Leaning over with his elbows, he points Zoro to the shot glasses, tapping the bartop indicatively. “Gotta get to know what we like in bed if we’re gonna go down this road. And you talk better when you’re liquored up. So, let’s get to know each other’s preferences. The one who guesses wrong takes a shot. Sound good?”

Pondering Sanji’s suggestion, Zoro turns to grab two shot glasses and slams them on the bartop between them with the bottle of tequila.  “No,” he responds, sly grin forming. “Want me liquored up? Shot for being right.”

Sanji’s breath holds for a moment as he registers Zoro’s suggestion and the confident air surrounding him. It’s a good revision to his rules, he has to admit. They’re likely to know more about each other than less. Curling his hand under his chin, Sanji maintains a charming stare before nodding slowly. “Deal. Should I start?”

Zoro pours himself a shot, ignoring Sanji’s suggestion, confident that he’s got the first one in the bag.  He grips it in his hand, revealing smugly, “You like dirty talk.”

Sanji grins and nods, gesturing to Zoro’s shot glass. He watches the man down it before posing his own inference. “You like being in power.”

Keeping the bottle of tequila in his hand, Zoro calmly shakes his head.  Something past flings had mistaken too. “I like control.”

Raising a brow, Sanji gets Zoro to clarify. “Care to explain the difference?”  

“Power doesn’t mean shit.  Think of a wrestling match.  Both wrestlers should be in the same class,” Zoro explains, crossing his arms over his chest.  “But control,” he pauses, flashing a feral grin Sanji’s way. “That means it’s on my terms.”

Sanji begins to feel a familiar flame burning within at those dark eyes staring at him. “I see what you mean. You like the certainty of the outcome.”

“Like to create the outcome.”

“Cocky bastard,” Sanji retorts with a slow chuckle. “That’s what I’d call splitting hairs but I’ll let it slide. No shot for me then.”

“Another for me on this one,” Zoro teases lightly, pouring the tequila.  “You get off with a dildo.”

Sanji gapes, hand clenching around the edge of the bartop. “Fuck off. You raided my shit when you were in my room that one time, didn’t you?”

Zoro smirks into the shot glass, tipping back the liquor.  He sighs and slams the glass down, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.  “Nah, you look the type.”

“What else is a guy supposed to do while not getting any, asshole,” Sanji grumbles, drumming his fingers on the bar while thinking of a guess for Zoro. “You’re into kinky shit like toys, aren’t you.”

“Nope.”

“Damn!” Sanji slams his fist on the bar. “Thought for sure Law was weird enough to be into that shit with you.”

“He is,” Zoro clarifies with a short laugh.  “But I’m not.”

Sanji laughs, agreeing with a shake of his head. “Me neither.”

Zoro leans back against the bar, arms crossed and eyes studying the floor intently.  His first two were obvious but now he has the opportunity to learn more about the man before him.  Scratching his jaw lightly, he lifts his gaze to Sanji and asks, “You only like missionary.”

Frowning with a tilt of his head, Sanji straightens in his seat giving Zoro a peculiar look. “You really think I’m that boring? That’s disappointing,” he jokes, leaning back over to press his chin in his palm.

A wave of relief washes over Zoro with Sanji’s response.  “Was hoping not.”

“Oh, at this point, I’m thinking I might surprise you,” Sanji taunts, one of his favorite things to do. Bringing him to his next assumption. He speaks slow and seductive: “You like it when I tease you and rile you up.”

Zoro can’t deny Sanji’s accusation, especially since the comment alone has him scowling and hardening at the same time.  He gestures to the shot glass in defeat. “Shithead.”

“Ha, finally!” Sanji exclaims with open arms, quickly taking the shot and downing it thirstily. After a long sigh, he says with a wink, “Should’ve started with that one. It was a given.”

Crossing his arms again, Zoro taps his bicep.  A good buzz has his mind shooting off in a number of directions.  Like positions he wants to get Sanji into. But it’s better to start simple.  His fingers still as he lands on the right question to ask. He pushes himself off the counter, the liquor bottles lightly clinking with the action.  Pulling up the stool Sanji keeps behind the bar, he takes a seat, leaning in close as he smirks. “You like it rough.”

“As if I didn’t already give it away with my answer to that missionary question, genius. Bottoms up.” Sanji scoffs, indicating for Zoro to take his shot with a roll of his eyes. “Speaking of rough, you strike me as a biter.”

Zoro finishes off his liquor and pours the tequila into Sanji’s glass.  “Got me there,” he confirms as he watches Sanji tilt his head back to take his drink, pale neck exposed.  Wouldn’t mind biting him there. Zoro raps his knuckles on the counter, trying to think of what to ask next.  “You like playing hard to get.”

Sanji shifts in his seat, recrossing his leg on the bar stool. He gives a poised nod, eyes drooping as he watches Zoro toss back the shot with a confident smirk. “Again, kind of obvious, don’t you think?” he says, chuckling lightly while sliding an empty beer bottle towards him on the bar.

“Obvious? Maybe I just wanna get drunk.”  

Pulling out a fresh cigarette, Sanji lights up, keeping his stare on Zoro while murmuring through a cupped hand, “Don’t doubt it, damn alchy. But you like it when I play hard to get. Bet you get off on it, actually. Waiting for sex.” Sucking in a lungful, he blows out a steady stream of smoke, tapping the ashes over the neck of the bottle. “Bet you’re getting off on it right now.”

Zoro pauses, meditating on Sanji’s guess.  Not really something he’s ever really thought about or expressed.  But he does like the thrill of the chase. Makes the sex even better.  Silently, he pushes the tequila bottle towards Sanji, nodding towards his empty glass.

“Now we’re talking,” Sanji says smugly, pouring himself a shot and tossing it back. His ego is climbing with the knowledge that Zoro gets off being made to wait. Excitement buzzes under his skin as the tequila burns in his stomach. It’s something Sanji thoroughly enjoys making his partners do for him, torturing with enticement. As well as one of the only things he comfortably gets an ego boost from. With a hefty sigh as the tequila settles in his system, finally beginning to take effect, he continues goading, “What else you got?”

Zoro leans back in his stool, hands gripping the railing as he ponders his next question.  Something that’s been in the back of his mind, given the way his friend was in high school.  The tequila shots are mixing with the whiskey and heating up his skin. That and the way Sanji’s staring at him from across the bar.  His words slur as he poses, “Topping. Somethin’ you do sometimes?”

Sanji settles forward in his seat, shaking his head no as he puts a flat hand over Zoro’s shot glass. He’d experimented with topping Ace. It didn’t do much for him, similar to how having sex with woman fell flat for him. He gives a lot to people in day-to-day, physically and emotionally. In bed, he likes to receive -- it’s the one place in life where he can be a bit selfish and be the object of someone’s affections, as long as his partner gets off on doing the giving. He couldn’t shake that desire even back when cutting it loose was all he wanted to do and now it’s just a comfortable part of who he is. Something in his psychology, he assumes, subconsciously urging him to put his emotions on for show to the fullest degree. Like the cap of a pressurized bottle popping free. He explains to Zoro briefly, “Tried it. Wasn’t for me.” Giving an impish smirk, smoke pools from his lips as he asks, “Surprised?”

Zoro remains still for a moment, silently feeling his pulse quicken at Sanji’s response.  A true bottom. Best case scenario for him. Never been into it himself. Would much rather be the one to give than take.  Somehow knowing that Sanji will always want to take him makes him want the man even more. He wants nothing more than to be buried deep inside of him right now.

Sanji’s grin spreads further along his cheeks as he studies the fluctuation in intensity of Zoro’s stare. A beat later, another drag from his cigarette, still no response from Zoro. Finally Sanji re-evaluates pensively, “Or maybe relieved?”

“Yeah.  That.”

“Figured. You’re the stubborn type. Nice and convenient for the both of us, isn’t it?” Sanji comments, taking one final puff from his cigarette and dropping the smouldering bud down the neck of the bottle. His gaze fixated on the man’s chiseled arm in front of him, Sanji reaches forward, massaging a hand lightly up his forearm. Tone shifting to a soft cadence, Sanji looks up into his eyes seductively,  “You like showing off your strength. Right now, you want to hold me down and make me squirm.”

Zoro glances down to the hand still resting on his arm, suddenly aware of the thick wood between them, keeping him from grabbing Sanji and closing the space between them.  The stool scrapes against the floor as he stands abruptly, remedying the situation by placing a sturdy hand on the bartop and hauling himself over to the other side. Sanji’s eyes widen with surprise as he plops into the seat next to him, gripping his arm in a strong grip and tugging him into his space.  Voice low, he tightens his hold as he continues their game, “You wanna squirm while I eat your ass.”

Sanji swallows thickly, his vision tunneling in on Zoro’s lips so close to his. The suggestion is one of his biggest turn ons and it sends the blood rushing straight south. His hands raise to grasp and claw at Zoro’s wrists, inviting him closer with a mischievous grin, knowing he’s about to put the final nail in the coffin that is both of their self-restraint and willpower. He licks his lips and bites the corner of his mouth, declaring:

“You wanna make me _beg_.”

“You will beg,” Zoro promises in a low rumble, keeping his grip on Sanji’s arm, free hand forcefully grasping his jaw.  He smirks as Sanji’s eyes bore into him, lust filling the deep blue. His own sweatpants are pulling tight, his self-control completely obliterated and replaced with an aching desire.  But he doesn’t act on it, his carnal need for control taking over, wanting to make Sanji come undone and end their game. With a smirk, Zoro draws Sanji’s face in, lips a breadth apart as he makes his next assessment.  “Want me to tell you what to do, huh?”

Sanji takes in a deep breath, muscles tensing against Zoro’s vice-like grip. “Maybe I do,” he says provokingly. “You asking questions now?”

Zoro clenches his hold, squeezing Sanji’s jaw tighter.  “Tell me.”

Flame fully lit, pants tight, Sanji relents and growls out, “Fuck. I want you to tell me what to do.”

Releasing his stronghold, Zoro’s expression lights up in a smug grin, triumphant.  He caresses a red spot on Sanji’s jaw with his thumb, his grip having left a subtle mark.  “Good.”

Sanji tilts his head slightly, relishing in the sensation of Zoro’s soft touches after being so rough with him. He likes the disparity. Like a lightswitch going from on to off. It makes the man’s mood seem precarious in the hottest kind of way. Again, his eyes drift to Zoro’s lips, wanting badly to dive into a brusque kiss and wondering what will be done to him if he does. He suddenly remembers it’s his turn to make a guess and something easily comes to mind. “You like being a sadistic bastard to me,” he goads, grasping the back of Zoro’s head and boldly crashing their lips together.

Zoro succumbs to the sudden kiss for a beat, enjoying the desperation emanating from Sanji as their mouths groove.  But he doesn’t let it last long. Needing to control the situation once again, his hand shoots up and finds Sanji’s throat, fingers squeezing tightly.  Zoro pushes with slight force, parting their lips and creating distance between them. “Not so fast, blondie,” he taunts with a shake of his head. Excitement flashes in Sanji’s eyes, catching Zoro’s attention as he delivers a little more pressure.  “You like it when I choke you.”

Closing his eyes, Sanji’s lust climbs rapidly as Zoro’s hand squeezes again, the teasing restriction on his airway coupled with his words drawing out a moan from him. Suddenly, the grip on his throat tightens and a rough palm finds its way up his shirt, stroking his abdomen fondly until fingers snake around to the middle of his spine. His eyelids flutter open and he sees a dark shadow of lust clouding over Zoro’s irises. As Sanji focuses on Zoro’s hands caressing him, his grin is weak but still alive, the spirit of their game not lost. “You like making me moan. Loud.”

Zoro’s searching fingers still, cock throbbing at the knowledge that Sanji’s aware how much his moaning gets him going.  He continues his hunt, finding the top of Sanji’s jeans and jerking at the button and zipper hastily. Need more. Pants undone, Zoro’s palm wraps around Sanji’s hard erection with greed.  Squeezing lightly, he never once disconnecting their gazes, enjoying the way Sanji’s squirming beneath his touch. Dead on with that guess.

“You like that?” Zoro asks brazenly as he strokes, knowing full-well what the answer will be, releasing the man’s throat so he can hear it clear.  He wants to make Sanji say it.

Nodding his head, Sanji bucks his hips against Zoro’s palm, urging him for more. He can feel his cheeks and neck flushing already from how worked up he’s getting. Suddenly, the tantalizing touches stop entirely, forcing Sanji to fully open his eyes and look at Zoro, who is glaring at him menacingly. He wants him to say it aloud. Shit. That’s so fucking hot. Sanji grins, curving in and pressing his lips near Zoro’s ear playfully. “I _really_ fucking like that.”

“Fuck,” Zoro mutters in a low rumble, Sanji’s admission turning him on just as much as he thought it would.  He grips Sanji’s hardness again, stroking at a faster pace, working the man up enough that he can feel him panting against his skin.  Zoro releases once again, without warning, smirking as he leans back and receives a glare in response. Their game still in his mind, he questions, “Edging?”

Breathing heavily, Sanji offers a cheeky grin. “Expect me to grab you a shot like this?” He reaches down, sliding his palm up Zoro’s hardness tenting through his sweats before playing with the elastic hem. He hasn’t even touched Zoro there and yet the man is already this hard. “Look at you,” Sanji remarks, leaning in to nip at one of his earrings while rebounding an assumption. “Turns you on this much, controlling my body, hm?”

“I own your body.”

Before Sanji has time to fully let those words fill him with lust, a hand grabs the back of his neck, tossing him off his stool and slamming him prone against the bar. He can hear the barstool clamoring to the ground in their brief scuffle as Zoro stands and looms powerfully behind him. The hand on his neck shifts up to hold the crown of his head, forcing his cheek flat against polished wood. Sanji groans, partly in genuine reaction, partly for Zoro’s benefit, allowing the man’s declaration to sink in and fuel the raging fire of his desires. Zoro owning his body. His breath shudders at the electrifying thought. Uncaring of where they are, all Sanji can think about is wanting Zoro inside him right here right now. He wriggles against Zoro, straining under the man’s unwavering grip. Eager to be a catalyst for more, he urges with a shit-eating grin:  “Then own me already.”

An electric, white heat sears through Zoro’s bloodstream as those words go straight to his groin.  Chest heaving, head spinning, pulse raging, he can’t fucking take it anymore. His hand yanks Sanji’s jeans down, his own sweats tugged off in a flash.  Zoro presses forward, letting his erection brush against Sanji’s back as he reaches down with a prodding finger, smirking when he pulls a groan from the man’s lips.  He leans over Sanji’s body, free hand snaking around to grip his chin and jerk his head back, lips brushing against his cheek as he growls, “Gonna make you lose control.”

Sanji grabs ahold of the bar’s edge, mouth opening wide to reveal his pleasure while Zoro’s fingers curl inside him below, stroking him in deep places. Zoro’s lips nip at his mouth and jaw briefly, disappearing as quick as they appeared. Fingers replace their presence to overtake his mouth, sliding past his lips and forcing him to lick and suck. He’s on the descent, Sanji can feel it in the tension shift, can feel it on his body as Zoro begins to take full control. This is the kind of control he loves to lose. The kind that makes Zoro lose it too. A mindset he’d fantasized about getting Zoro into, a feral place where he becomes utterly possessed by his desire to take Sanji. Completely unhinged. Zoro’s fingers release from inside his mouth, apparently satisfied as they slide down his jaw to his neck, giving Sanji the opportunity to counter, “You’re gonna lose control with me.”

“That what you think?” Zoro challenges in a low voice, removing his fingers from Sanji’s entrance and spitting into his palm.  He slicks himself and presses against Sanji’s entrance teasingly, pausing only to warn, “Don’t have a rubber.”

Sanji’s fist clenches against the bar, whipping his head back to glare at Zoro. Fingers aren’t enough anymore. He needs it now. And he never cared about the damn condom to begin with. “Fuck it. I want to feel every inch.”

Zoro grips Sanji’s hip with one hand, the other pressing hard on his lower back, adjusting their position over the bar for the best angle.  No lube available, he wets himself again with spit, and without warning pushes his hips forward, driving himself into Sanji. A sly grin spreads across his face at the sound that escapes the man beneath him in response.  Tight heat surrounds Zoro, Sanji pressing against him, body urging him to push in as deep as he can. “Fuck,” he groans at the feeling as he slides back and snaps his hips forward in a hard thrust.

Sanji moans carnally, the slight burn of Zoro stretching him raw is taking some getting used to, but who’s he kidding, he’s into that kind of shit. Pleasure muddling pain. He relaxes his muscles, adjusting around Zoro’s cock more comfortably. Sanji truly wants to feel every inch of him. Similar to last night, the thought that he’s never taken someone this big makes the excited rush of heat fluttering throughout his body even more unforgiving. It feels so good even the second time around, but he knows it could feel much better if the man stopped teasing him. He wants to feel _claimed_.

Zoro finds a faster rhythm, moving with force as he reaches out and grabs a fistful of blond hair.  Drunk off liquor and lust, he wants to keep their dirty talk going, every sultry word igniting the fire in his gut.  “Tell me how you jerked off.” A hard yank. “Thinkin’ ‘bout me.”

A buzzing heat shoots through Sanji’s nerves. Now he gets it. Zoro’s forcing him to earn what he wants. Sadistic prick. The feeling of Zoro inside him is not like his fantasies -- it’s infinitely better. “Touched myself thinking of how you’d hold me down. Wouldn’t let me move, fucking me, _ah_ \-- hard, into my bed,” Sanji says, panting, trying to collect his thoughts with his head jerked back, hair being mercilessly tugged as Zoro rams into him faster, more carnal. “Thought about how big you’d be, how good your cock -- _fuck, ahh_ \-- how good your fucking cock would feel,” he strangles out unabashedly, grinning and crying out at a particularly rewarding thrust for that one.

Zoro releases Sanji’s hair, hand flying around to his throat, squeezing it tightly as he continues fucking relentlessly.  “Made me come too,” he admits with a grunt, forehead finding Sanji’s shoulder as sweat drips down his temple. He adds more pressure to the slender neck beneath his clutch, the gasping moans shaking him at his core.  “Thought ‘bout you while fucking him.”

“You dirty fucker,” Sanji says raspily with a massive grin. The knowledge of that has him so hard he can barely stand it. Sweat is building on his skin, making his shirt cling to his body as it rides up his back. He quickly flings his arm back, finding Zoro’s arm and wrapping his hand around it urgently. Several unbearably hard thrusts later and Sanji’s cock is begging for release. His cries echo loudly in the bar as he writhes, Zoro’s grip loosening slightly around his throat, allowing the words to spill from his mouth. “Gonna show me what you thought about, huh? Gonna make me come?”

Releasing his hold on Sanji’s throat, Zoro’s hand finds his erection instead, squeezing and stroking to their rhythm.  All the build-up and dirty talk has him nearing his own release, but he refuses to teeter over the edge until Sanji’s completely melted in his hand.  He tilts his head against Sanji’s shoulder, teeth sinking into soft skin as he bites hard. Increasing his pace, Zoro drives in as deep as he can, making Sanji moan with every movement.  

“Tell me you wanna come.”

“I wanna come so bad, Zoro,” Sanji groans out, chest heaving, body twitching. So close. He won’t be able to take it if Zoro decides to hold out any longer. “Please make me come.”

“Come for me, Sanji.”

With a powerful shudder, Sanji cries out loudly as Zoro’s demand has him spilling over the edge, coming hard into the palm cupped over the head of his cock. Behind him, he can feel Zoro take the plunge with him, the man’s body trembling, his hand clutching Sanji’s hip in a death grip. That’ll probably leave a bruise. Panting hard, Sanji rests his cheek against the bar as Zoro collapses on top of him, both catching their breaths from the intensity of their orgasms.

“ _Fuck_. That was good,” Sanji says, smiling with a relieved sigh before attempting to blow sweaty strands from his mouth.

“Need a shot,” Zoro retorts, inhaling deeply as he tries to catch his breath.  He pulls out of Sanji, shirt completely soaked with sweat. No other option for the mess on his hand and lower half, he tugs it off and uses it as a towel to wipe clean.  His eyes land on the abandoned tequila bottle and he snatches it immediately, tilting it back for a long swig as he jerks up his sweats.

Stumbling off the bar, Sanji wipes the sweat from his brow and reaches down to pull his jeans up, fastening them quickly and straightening out his t-shirt. “Pour me one too --” he says, looking up as Zoro is taking a hard pull of tequila straight from the bottle, face twisting from surprise to disgust. “-- and nevermind. You’re disgusting.”

“Says the man covered in my jizz.”

“Again, gross. But fair,” Sanji says casually, hand raised. “Better yet, don’t pour me one. Someone’s gotta drive us home and it’s sure as shit not going to be you.”

Zoro reaches down, picking up the stool he knocked over earlier as Sanji moves around the bar to wipe the counters.  “Let’s get this show on the road.”

They spend the next fifteen minutes quickly making the bar an appropriate sight for morning, Sanji giving the spot they’d enjoyed themselves on a particularly thorough clean. Everything wiped, put away, lights shut off, kitchen equipment double-checked, Sanji is outside locking the backdoor with Zoro at his side. Lighting up a cigarette as they stroll over to his Jeep, Sanji nudges Zoro’s shoulder playfully. “Wanna spend the night at my place? Pretty sure Shanks is over at your dad’s.”

Zoro grimaces, confident that Sanji’s assumption is likely accurate.

“Nami knows, too. So it wouldn’t be weird.”

A hollow ache thumps in Zoro’s chest, mind returning to his run this morning and the decisions he made.  “Nah,” he declines with a shake of his head as they approach the Jeep. “I can deal.”

Sanji’s lips thin as he takes in a full inhale of smoke, releasing it in a cloud. Probably shouldn’t have suggested a sleepover. Zoro’s refusal is totally understandable and obviously for the best, but there’s a wistful feeling plucking on his heartstrings. He shrugs it off, determined not to break his promise to himself, unlocking the Jeep and climbing in, Zoro joining him in the passenger’s seat. An amusing question pops into his head as he fires up the vehicle, a brash grin spreading across his cheeks.

“Be honest. You’ve wanted to fuck me over that bar since you got back, haven’t you?”

“Can’t deny it.”  A subtle smile ghosts Zoro’s lips as he glances out the passenger window.  If only Sanji knew it’s been way longer than that.

“Ha. Can cross that one off the list then.” Sanji’s smug smirk widens around his cigarette, putting the window down and shifting the car into drive.  “Horny bastard.”

  



	13. Chapter 13

 

 

Sunday night at Zeff’s is just winding down, only a couple drinkers left sitting at the bar, immersed in a football game on the small screen. It was a bit busier today than usual, a sure sign of summer bringing in more bodies. It’s now close to ten at night and Sanji is going to have to get into the habit of closing a bit later on Sundays. Thankfully tonight, it doesn’t look like much else will happen, so he predicts another hour tops before he can lock up. The game should be over in about that time. Zoro should show up soon anyway, giving him more reason to close up as soon as possible. He smirks quietly in excitement as he turns to the bottles lined up at the back of the bar.

His patrons are comfortable with a full glass for the time being, so Sanji gets started on the liquor and beer count for their order tomorrow. Time passes quickly, he only has to refill a couple beers as he works his way down the list. Just as he’s reached the end of his counts, the door opens and Zoro walks in, giving him an electrifying smirk as they connect eyes.

“Little late tonight,” Sanji remarks with a shiteating grin as Zoro takes his usual seat. “Trouble finding the place?”

Zoro rubs the back of his neck, shifting on his stool to lean an elbow against the bar top.  “Fell asleep for a few hours.”

Spitting out a short patronizing laugh, Sanji shakes his head. “Well, welcome back to the land of the living. Rum?”

“Beer.”

Nodding, Sanji pours him his drink and sets it in front of him. “Last call’s in ten.”

Zoro picks up his cold draft and takes a long swallow, glancing around the men seated at the bar.  Just a couple stragglers. Familiar faces, regulars. He connects his gaze with Sanji’s again, smirking over his glass.  “Good.”

Smiling warmly, Sanji feels a shiver of excitement run pleasantly under his skin. “So that all you did today? Sleep?”

“Helped Chopper with his grandma’s car.”  Zoro taps the side of his glass, lowering his eyes to the light yellow hues of the beer.  “Some alternator issue. Was hot as balls out there.”

“Was a hot one today. Had a lot of business, people dropping in for a cold beer,” Sanji replies, keeping his eyes on Zoro. “Sure Chopper appreciated it.” He grins crookedly. “Sure it got your dad off your back, too.”

“Speaking of that old fuck,” Zoro quips with a sigh, annoyed at the sheer mention of his pops.  “He wants to wine and dine you on Tuesday.”

Eyes lighting up in amusement, Sanji’s smile widens. “Oh, yeah? It’s my day off, I’m always down for a date with your dad. You don’t sound so excited.”

“Leave me out of it for all I care.”  Zoro takes another gulp from his drink, wiping his mouth with his thumb.  “Won’t stop talking about how ‘responsible’ you are.” He smirks wickedly, lowering his voice and leaning in closer.  “Doesn’t know how much you like my dick in your ass.”

Blanching, Sanji looks over to the guys huddled at the other side of the bar, immersed in a tense part of the game in its last quarter. Whipping his head back to Zoro, Sanji leans in to whisper as menacingly as possible with red cheeks. “Pump the brakes, asshole.” He nods to the guys. “‘Til they’re gone.”

Zoro raises an eyebrow, glancing in the direction of the other patrons sucked into the small TV.  “Worrywart,” he teases with a shake of his head, matching Sanji’s low whisper mockingly. “Could fuck you here and they wouldn’t notice.”

“Be lucky if you ever fuck me again, dickwad,” Sanji threatens, beguilement in his tone betraying the veracity of his words. Before Zoro can respond, he stalks over to the guys to give them last call. They take another round, asking for their bills with it. He goes through the motions of cashing them all out, leaving them to the game’s final minutes unbothered. He heads back to Zoro at the other end, putting his hands on the bartop and raising a brow at him. “Game’s almost over. Last call.”

“Kickin’ me out?”  Zoro deadpans as he nods to his empty pint, signaling for another.

Staring Zoro down for a beat, Sanji sighs and takes the glass. “Damn straight I am.” He refills the beer, talking as he does, “Don’t expect to drift in late and get special treatment.”

“Don’t expect to get laid then.”

Placing the cold glass in front of Zoro, Sanji puts a hand to his hip. “Don’t expect to deserve it after sweating your balls off in the heat. Probably skipped a shower, festering in your own juices sleeping the rest of the day.”

Zoro watches impatiently as the group of men groan at the outcome of their game and stand to leave, shuffling past and waving goodbye as they exit.  “I showered,” he retorts indignantly, crossing his arms over his chest. “And that nap means I got plenty of energy to fuck you into next week.”

Audience gone, Sanji places his hands flat over the bartop, his tough act beginning to melt away as he leans over slightly, eyelids drooping. “You, showering? Thought of me, did you?”

“Might’ve,” Zoro responds with a shrug, grinning to himself as he stands and shuffles away to lock the door.  Alone at last. “What’s it to you?”

Collecting the empty glasses from the bar, Sanji calls out to the front door. “Figure I might have something to do with you thinking of me all day.” As Zoro’s makes his way back with an intense glare, Sanji keeps goading. “Damn sure the sun wasn’t the only thing making you sweat.”

Lip curling, Zoro stops in front of his stool and leans across the bar, grabbing Sanji’s arm and tugging him back against the wood.  “Could show you what I was thinking about.”

Stomach pooling with sudden need, Sanji smirks, visioning tunnelling in on Zoro’s cocky grin. “Didn’t I give you last call, dumbass? Yet here you still are.”

Zoro releases his grip on Sanji’s arm and takes a step back, studying the man before him with intensity.  It’s true he’s spent all day thinking about Sanji and the fact that the asshole knows it only serves to make him even hornier.  He picks up his beer and takes a long drink, using the action to pointedly ignore the needy blue stare turned on him. Sanji rolls his eyes and turns back to his cleaning, giving Zoro the exact opportunity he was hoping for.  Quickly and stealthily he sets down the pint and makes his way around to the other side of the bar, grabbing Sanji again and whirling him around, pressing him against the back counter.

“Here I still am.”

Bottles rattle softly behind him as Zoro closes into Sanji space, igniting him deep inside. Grasping around the hands gripping his waist, Sanji’s spine curls slightly, allowing their hips to press close while tantalizingly inching his face further away from Zoro’s lips. He smirks, loving to play hard to get until the very last moment. Especially when it turns Zoro so feral. Keeping his eyes locked on Zoro’s, he asks, “Yeah? Been waiting to fuck me? Think I’ll just give you want you want?”

“I know you will,” Zoro answers with a chuckle, leaning in and pressing their lips together as he grinds their hips together.  “You want it too.”

Sanji sighs into the kiss, the friction below making him blissfully lose control. After a couple of fierce but brief kisses, he turns his head away, groaning as Zoro’s lips transfer over to the side of his mouth, his cheekbone, then down to his jaw. Mouth free, Sanji growls out, “Cocky motherfucker...”

Zoro nibbles his way up to Sanji’s ear, hands exploring as they continue to grind.  Just as his fingers find the top of Sanji’s belt, a loud rapping can be heard on the front door of the bar, a rambunctious cackle startling them out of their moment.  “The fuck?” he mutters, glancing over his shoulder as another hard knock sounds, a familiar voice calling through the wood with excitement.

“ _Sanji!_   Let me in!”

Sanji groans loudly, leaning his forehead on Zoro’s and lips thinning as he tries to collect himself. Luffy’s timing is impeccable as always. He’s painfully hard and from the feel of it, so is Zoro. Pulling his head back, Sanji gripes, “Dammit.”

“Ignore him,”  Zoro dismisses as he leans in to suck on Sanji’s earlobe.

Sanji’s eyelids droop as he hums, focusing on the sensation of Zoro’s tongue, hoping that maybe if they’re quiet long enough Luffy will think no one’s here.

Another cry rattles them out of their moment, this time more urgent with loud bangs to match.

“Let me _in!!”_

“Does a locked door mean nothing to him?” Sanji says, sighing frustratedly as he presses Zoro back slightly. “That idiot about to get murdered or something?”

Zoro releases his grip on Sanji and takes a step back, well aware through years of friendship that the man won’t be able to ignore Luffy much longer.  He adjusts himself and locates his half empty beer, downing the rest of it and twisting to pour himself another. “Better go check,” he says with a frown, nodding towards the front as he works the tap.  “He’ll bust in that old door.”

Another obnoxious call of his name and more banging has Sanji in the process of doing just that, but not before straightening out his t-shirt and lower half. “I’m coming Luffy, I’m coming!” he calls, running his hands over his hair to fix any dishevelment. “Don’t fuck up the door!”

“Oh, Sanji!” Luffy says, barging in as soon as the door’s unlocked. “You closed up early!”

Sighing deeply, Sanji replies with gritted teeth. “Noisy fucker. It’s after eleven on a Sunday. You’re late!”

“Oh, yeah! It’s a Sunday!” Luffy exclaims, laughing boisterously while clapping Sanji on the back.

Willfully ignoring Luffy, Sanji tilts a head over his friend’s shoulder to see Law drifting in behind him, a grim look on his face.

“I tried to tell him no.”

Sanji’s frown molds into a small grin. “It’s okay. No one can control this freak.”

Zoro watches from behind the bar as Luffy zooms over to the pinball machine, its nostalgic tune filling the empty space within seconds.  He catches Law’s eye as he sips from his beer, nodding at the man and receiving a slight smirk in response as he redirects his route from following Luffy to approaching him at the bar.  “You’re up late,” Zoro comments as Law leans against the counter across from him. “Not usually into bars on work nights.”

“And you’re not usually this establishment’s bartender,” Law quips back with a knowing look, nodding at Zoro’s position near the taps.  His steely gaze lingers on Zoro’s unkempt appearance for a minute before turning to acknowledge Sanji over his shoulder. “The loud one decided he had to beat my score right this second.  Is it too late for a drink?”

Sanji shakes his head, waving Law’s concerns off as he strolls back behind the bar. “Of course not. You probably need one dealing with Luffy’s shit all day.” He elbows Zoro away, lining himself up with Law face to face. “What’ll it be? Crown?”

“And Diet Coke.”

Zoro frowns at the order as he abandons his post behind the bar and returns to his normal stool, beer in hand.  “Just drink it straight,” he teases with a shake of his head. “Put some hair on your chest.”

“I have to drive,” Law returns dully, lowering himself onto the stool next to Zoro.  “And I like my chest the way it is.”

“Sanji!” Luffy calls from the pinball machine, frowning at the list of scores on-screen. “Who’s ‘L-O-L’?”

Sanji scowls at the question, placing Law’s drink in front of him. “How the fuck should I know, Luffy?”

“Damn man! They took second place from me!”

“Why the fuck should I care? You want a drink or not, dipshit?!”

“Yeah! Gimme a beer! I gotta beat this stupid LOL guy!”

Zoro catches sight of Law’s steely grey eyes lighting up with amusement, a small smirk playing at the corners of his lips as he sips his drink.  Always been a calculated bastard. He leans over, keeping his voice low. “You really are a glutton for punishment.”

“I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.” Law’s face contorts to its normal dull expression, eyes focused on the liquor bottles ahead.

Sanji nods to Law to grab his attention. “So what’d you guys get up to today?”

“Went to Target with Usopp.”

“Must’ve creamed his pants,” Zoro remarks with a snort, recalling their friend’s weird obsession with the store.  Personally he’d be fine with never again setting foot in one of those big box retailers.

Sanji laughs, pulling forward an ashtray and lighting up a cigarette. “That’s his idea of a perfect date with Nami. Starbucks and ‘Tar-jay.’”

“Tar-what?” Zoro questions with an eyebrow raised.

“I won’t bother explaining it to you, dumb-dumb,” Sanji says lowly.

“A pseudo-French pronunciation of ‘Target,’” Law clarifies haphazardly, resting his chin in his hand as he watches Luffy at the pinball machine.  “Used by middle class citizens to feel fancy about shopping there.” He sighs. “They’re overpriced. Even that cretinous Walmart is better.”

Sanji raises a brow sharply at the oddly specific explanation. “Do you live on Urban Dictionary?”

Law frowns at the question.  “I’ve used it from time-to-time.”

“Used it? Sounds like you’re one of the weirdos writing their definitions,” Sanji expresses with a lighthearted laugh, pouring himself a half-pint of beer.

“He’s a Wikipedia editor,” Zoro interjects with a playful grin, watching Sanji for a reaction.

“Aha!” Sanji exclaims jovially, pointing at Law. “There it is.”

Luffy guffaws in the background. “He’s a nerd!” After a quick beat, he shouts across the room. “Hey Sanji! Where’s my beer?”

“I’m not going over there to give it to you! Come here, you lazy shit!”

“But Sanji! I’m in the middle of a good game!”

“Like I give a shit!”

“I’ll take it to him,” Law says with a sigh, standing from his stool.

Sanji cracks open a tallboy and hands it to Law with a shrug. “You’re only enabling his bad habits.”

“I wouldn’t cast stones, Sanji,” Law returns as he takes the beer and nods towards Zoro.  “Saw this one behind the bar pouring his own drinks. That’s downright feeding an addict.”

Sanji laughs, taking the comment in stride. The man’s not wrong. He juts his thumb in Zoro’s direction, blowing out a plume of smoke as he sighs exasperatedly. “Same as Luffy, controlling what this moron does is impossible.”

“Putting up with you two isn’t a walk in the park,” Zoro growls in response, finishing off his beer and pushing the empty glass towards Sanji.  “Annoying fucks.”

Grabbing the glass aggressively, Sanji flips Zoro off as he turns to refill the beer. From the corner of his eye, he sees Zoro gesture for him to stop. Glass poised under the tap, Sanji’s eyebrows raise at him. “Captain time?”

“Nah.”  Zoro shifts on the stool, digging his wallet out of the pocket of his shorts and removing a twenty.  “Gonna head out.”

Surprise fills Sanji’s features. “Got here late and leaving early?” He turns around to put the glass in the washer, frowning as he does. “It’s a strange world.”

“Don’t forget about Tuesday,” Zoro reminds as he places the bill on the bar and waves goodbye to Law and Luffy.  He pauses, rapping his knuckles on the bar top. “See you around.”

“Later, Zoro!” Luffy calls from the pinball machine.

“See you,” Sanji says distantly, putting a hand to his hip, watching Zoro leave with a pensive expression. He wonders why his friend won’t stay, especially with the promise of sex after Law and Luffy are out of here. Lip thinning in thought, he decides it’s best to ignore it. Any more thought will complicate something that’s meant to be simple. He turns back to Law, noticing the gloomy man scrutinizing him heavily. “What?”

“Sorry again for interrupting your night.”

Sanji’s features soften in understanding. Law’s a thoughtful guy behind all that gloominess. “Don’t worry about it.” He glances to the man’s empty glass, realizing with Luffy so invested in winning back second place, the two of them may be here another hour or more. He smiles, pointing to the glass.

“Another?”

“Please.”

 

* * *

 

“Come on in, my boy!”

Sanji laughs, carrying a bottle of wine as he steps into Mihawk’s beautiful home. “Thank you for inviting me. Dinner smells great.”

Mihawk accepts the bottle from Sanji’s hand, reading the label as he leads him into the house.  “Ah, a Cabernet. Nice vintage. Perfect for our lamb.” He lifts his head as they enter the living room, shooting a scowl in Zoro’s direction.  “Make yourself useful and get some wine glasses from the cupboard. The _nice_ ones.”

“Nice ones?” Zoro grumbles as he hauls himself from the couch, rolling his eyes as he crosses the room to rummage through his father’s china cabinet.  He tugs out two glasses, frown deepening as he hears his dad scoff in response.

“Not those old things.  I said the nice ones, son!”

“The fuck should I know?”

“Useless twat.”

Sanji watches the scene with amusement, always eager to be a spectator to Mihawk giving Zoro a verbal beating. “It’s been so long since I’ve been over for dinner,” he comments when there’s a beat of silence. “Where do you keep the wine openers again?”

Mihawk gestures towards the cabinet Zoro is still digging through, clicking his tongue and giving Sanji a disgruntled look.  “In that very organized cabinet that Zoro is likely destroying.” He hands the bottle back to Sanji. “Perhaps you could assist that ape while I check on dinner?”

“Already on it.” Sanji walks toward Zoro, looking over his friend’s form for the nice glasses. “He means those ones there, idiot,” he says, pointing over his shoulder. “And hand me that opener while you’re at it.”

“Should’ve went to Luffy’s,” Zoro says with a sigh, placing the opener in Sanji’s outstretched hand.  “Gotta get my own place.”

“Feeling like a third wheel?” Sanji teases, giving Zoro a playful elbow.

“You did say you have an old rich client,” Zoro taunts back, watching as Sanji moves to the table and begins uncorking the wine bottle with practiced ease.  “Maybe you want alone time.”

Sanji notices Mihawk is on his way to the kitchen, likely to check on the lamb. Once the man is out of the room, he uses the opportunity to lean into Zoro’s ear, impish smirk spreading over his cheeks. “Maybe I want some alone time with you.”

Sanji’s words quicken Zoro’s pulse, the warm breath against his ear leaving him wanting more.  He grins, nodding towards the hall. “Could slip away after dinner.”

After a couple glasses of wine at dinner, Sanji might find it in himself to take Zoro up on that offer. And even if not, he wants to keep Zoro gripped and teased nonetheless after leaving him hanging the other night. “Maybe,” he replies in a silky tone, taking the wine glasses from Zoro’s hands and placing them on the table himself. The table is already set minus the glasses, but he knows Zoro will position them wrong and get his ass handed to him for it. He’ll play nice and help him avoid that scenario.

“Zoro!”  Mihawk calls from the kitchen.  “Come carry in these serving dishes.”

“Stuffy prick,” Zoro mutters to himself again, ambling to the kitchen and finding an array of food ready to be set on the table.  “Can’t we fix our plates in here?” he asks with a frown, knowing he’ll be the one to clean up the table after dinner. “It’s just Sanji.”

“And miss the opportunity to host a proper dinner?” Mihawk blanches incredulously, eyebrows furrowing.  “Absolutely not.” He picks up a tray of steaming lamb chops, pushing it into Zoro’s hands. “It’s my way of congratulating the boy on his recent achievements.”

Unable to argue with his dad’s logic of wanting to do something nice for Sanji and knowing a fancy dinner is exactly what his friend would enjoy, Zoro forces away any further complaints he has resting on his tongue and silently obeys the orders.  He spots Sanji peeking in the kitchen with offers to help but he merely shakes his head, motioning for the man to take a seat at the table. “Just let him do his thing.”

Sanji nods, obliging and walking back to the table. He fills two glasses on the table with red wine from the bottle he’d brought, knowing Zoro won’t want any. Then he takes a seat and patiently waits for the meal to arrive. He fully trusts Mihawk’s cooking abilities. He’d learned a thing or two from the man over the years. A man of sophistication knows cuisine. He doesn’t have to wait long before a plate is placed down in front of him, courtesy of Zoro which forces a chuckle from him. The elaborate china plate hosts a beautifully cooked lamb chop with a side of roasted baby potatoes, pearl onions and asparagus. As soon as Mihawk is in the room, Sanji is quick to compliment the meal. “This looks absolutely delicious, Mr. Mihawk. Thank you.”

“Consider it a congratulations for your next chapter in life,” Mihawk says with a subtle smile as he takes his seat, hand finding the glass of wine immediately.  “Your father is quite proud of you and I must say so am I.”

Zoro rolls his eyes as he grabs his bottle of whiskey from the living room and joins the other two at the table.  His dad has always enjoyed the finer things in life with a flair for the dramatics, even though he’d never admit it.  Holidays, parties, life changes. He’s come to accept it for the most part, knowing it’s just how his dad shows his love.  Ignoring the glare he receives as he pours a healthy amount of whiskey in his empty ‘glass, Zoro takes a long swallow and gives Sanji a taunting grin.  “Yeah, congrats on waiting ten years to do something with your life.”

“You’ll be waiting two decades to do something with yours at this rate,” Sanji quips back, raising his glass. “Cheers to that.”

Mihawk snorts, raising his glass exuberantly.  “Yes, cheers.”

Zoro takes another bitter swallow of whiskey, knowing the rest of the evening will be two against one.  They all fix their plates, his father and Sanji commenting on the food and sharing cooking tips as they take their first bites.  The spread is one of his favorite meals his father cooks. He always had it for his birthday growing up. Last time he ate it was before he went off to boot camp.  “Lamb’s good,” he comments idly, stabbing another piece with his fork. “Like always.”

“I surely would hope so,” Mihawk responds with a frown, giving Zoro an exasperated look.  “The recipe hasn’t changed.”

Sanji chuckles. It seems Zoro can never be right around his father. Always been this way. The one man Zoro can’t seem to win against. He continues to eat, silence permeating over the dining room as everyone enjoys their meals. Zoro’s dad isn’t one for talking during meals anyway. The scraping of plates indicates the end of the meal. He’s tempted to stand and clear the plates, but he knows he won’t be welcome to as Mihawk’s guest. Leaning back in his seat, he can do nothing but compliment the flavours still dancing on his palate. “That was delicious. I’ll have to try your method the next time I make lamb.”

“I’ll make sure to get you the recipe,” Mihawk responds with a satisfied smirk.  “Why don’t you pour us more wine while Zoro and I clear the table away?”

“It would be my pleasure.”

Wine poured, dishes cleared away and in the washer, the three of them reconvene at the dining table to enjoy some post-dinner drinks and conversation.

“When’s the last time you saw Trafalgar?” Mihawk asks Zoro nonchalantly, taking a sip of his freshly poured wine.

“Today.”

“That’s where you disappeared earlier?”  Mihawk challenges with a smirk. “You know, I was rather confident he would become my son-in-law when you moved him all the way out here.”

Sanji takes a slow sip of wine, looking to Zoro and awaiting his response, eyes gleaming in amusement.

Zoro connects his gaze with Sanji’s and grimaces.  His dad’s always loved Law. He was sorely disappointed when they broke up.  Normally these comments don’t bother him but something about this topic in front of Sanji rubs him the wrong way.  “Would’ve never married him, pops. Wasn’t like that.”

“Shame,” Mihawk says with a sniff, tapping his fingers on the tabletop.  “What’s he doing these days anyway?”

“Dating Luffy.”

The tapping stops abruptly as Mihawk gives Zoro and Sanji a horrified look.  “He’s _dating_ Garp’s boy?  Absurd!”

Sanji nods, confirming, “It’s true. I almost fell into the Grand Canyon when I found out.”

“Trafalgar is so… level-headed,” Mihawk muses as he takes another sip of wine.  His piercing gaze turns on Zoro, studying him for a beat. “I assume it doesn’t bother you.”

Zoro lowers his gaze to his whiskey, swirling it in his glass.  Truth be told, he’s never been happier. “Nope,” he confirms, lifting his glass for a long drink.  “Glad they found each other.”

“Well as long as you’re both happy.”  Mihawk pauses for a moment, allowing silence to sink in the dining room.  He shakes his head, as though he’s trying to rid himself of his confused thoughts.  “Trafalgar and Garp’s boy… never would have guessed.” He resumes his tapping on the table, turning his attention to Sanji.  “And what about you, son? Anyone special you’re leaving behind for New York?”

Sanji takes a large gulp of wine, mulling the question over. He’s wondering himself these days if he is indeed leaving someone special behind. But those are his wandering thoughts, not logic talking. Either way, he’s not about ready to implicate his situation with Zoro in front of his father. That’s a conversation he’ll leave for Zoro himself, if he’s special enough to his fuck buddy to even have it. “No one special, no.” He flicks a glance Zoro’s way, looking for a reaction before continuing, “Who knows who’s waiting for me in the big city.”

Mihawk shoots an unreadable look Zoro’s way, leaving the younger man to question exactly what his dad may think he knows.  “New York’s full of pussies,” Zoro comments idly, sending Sanji a teasing smirk. “Never liked the people there.”

“As if there are many great finds in Whiskey Peak,” Mihawk chastises with a huff.  “Best thing you ever did was leave this town. Always worried you wouldn’t find someone here.”  He nods at Sanji. “Same for you, son. Once you expressed your preferences.”

Sanji swirls the glass in his hand, thinking that Mihawk probably always knew of his preferences since he was a boy. He used to be always be especially supportive of him and his soft personality and sensitivities. Perhaps because he saw something familiar in it. “It was a weird journey growing up here. I’m glad I came around in the end. Old man didn’t help much. Well, he’d never have that conversation with me. You know how he is.”

“That old badger is a little gruff but I know for certain he would have never turned you away.”  Mihawk smiles to himself, taking another sip of wine. “He asked me once if I thought you were gay.  When you were young.”

“He did?” Sanji asks, surprised. He laughs, tapping lightly over the tip of his glass. It’s a fond thought, the idea of his dad asking that question to his closest friend. A weird addition to his image of his old man. “He’s more of a gossiping hen than he lets on.”

“It was hard when he lost Sora,” Mihawk explains, his normally sharp tone softening.  “Being a single parent isn’t usually what most of us plan.” He pauses, shooting Zoro an amused look.  “I think I may be the only one foolish enough to do so. I believe he turned to me both as a fellow single father but also as a gay man.”

Sanji purses his lips, staring at the deep velvet red in his glass before connecting his eyes with Mihawk’s. “You said you know for certain he wouldn’t turn me away. What did he say when you told him what you thought?”

“I never told him what I thought,” Mihawk corrects with a gentle smile.  “I told him to talk to you about it. And I told him how Zoro openly told me his preferences when we had our birds and the bees talk.  I assume he never asked, did he?”

Zoro leans back in his chair, unable to keep the grin off his face as he remembers that conversation vividly.  He was eleven when his dad decided it was time to give him the sex talk. Surprised his pops when he’d asked if it was okay if he felt that way about other boys instead of girls.  He’d always been steadfast in his sexuality. He just happened to get lucky that his adoptive father is an old queer too.

“No, he never asked,” Sanji answers, eyes dipping back down to the table as he tries to recollect any vague semblance of his dad trying to have a talk with him. “I think once, years back, he might have tried. He got drunk one night at the bar and told me no matter what, I’d always be his son.”

“For the record, when he asked me, I did think you were interested in men,” Mihawk says with a short laugh, taking another sip of wine.  “I believe I mentioned that when we had our little talk a couple years ago.”

Zoro perks up at this, unaware of any talk between his father and Sanji.  Neither of them had mentioned it. He listens intently, pouring himself another drink of whiskey.

“I remember,” Sanji replies, crossing his legs under the table. He’d come out to Mihawk after breaking up with Ace, needing mature guidance on the topic. “Thanks for that, by the way. It was a rough time.”

“You’re like another son to me,” Mihawk asserts with a nod.  “My top choice for a potential son-in-law until Trafalgar entered the picture.”  He smirks. “I need a good son in my family. I picked out a bad egg.”

“I’m outta here.”

“Grab my photo album for me on your way out,” Mihawk responds scathingly, pointing towards the living room.  “I wanted to show Sanji a photo I found. On my side table.”

Sanji grins as he watches Zoro get up brusquely with a scrape of the chair, grunting and scowling at Mihawk. Nonetheless, he obliges, grabbing the photobook Mihawk’s requested with surprising speed. He thinks on Mihawk’s previous words as the man waves Zoro away and flips through the photobook. Zoro is out of the room in moments, apparently done being burned for the time being. “Potential son-in-law?” he asks quietly, shifting out of his seat to reposition beside Mihawk and the photobook. He’s intensely curious about the man’s opinion on this. “Zoro and me?”

“Don’t mind my comment,” Mihawk apologizes with a glance as he shuffles through the pages of his album.  “Parents often busy themselves with thoughts of their children’s futures.” He smirks. “You’re a respectable man.  That buffoon needs a good one.”

Sanji’s heart warms at Mihawk’s words and reaffirmations, just as they did years ago when he came out to the older man. Cheeks flushing slightly, he chooses his words carefully, asking, “You want me in the family that bad, huh? You’re already like a father to me, you know.”

“Very good then,” Mihawk responds with a grin, eyes lighting up as he finally locates what he was looking for.  He twists the photo album to give Sanji a better view, proud smile on his face as he taps a photo. “I thought you’d appreciate this.”

Sanji studies the photograph. It’s a picture of his mother, as young and beautiful as he remembers. She’s crouching in front of the pool table in the bar, hand atop his shoulder. He must be six or seven. Zoro is at her other side, hand over his shoulder as well. They’re smiling contagiously, Sanji’s own small hand pulling at the sleeve of Zoro’s green t-shirt. That looks about right. Zoro’s been in his life since almost the very beginning of his memories. Such a long ride of life and history between them.

“Wow,” he laughs, studying the picture with awe. “I didn’t know this existed. Look at us.” His finger points at the foreground in the picture. “And there. That’s the old carpet in the bar. We ripped it out when I was in high school.” He pauses, finger moving onto his mother’s form, pausing longingly before shifting to Zoro. He smirks, tapping on young Zoro’s face, one of the rare pictures where he’s not scowling even as a boy. “Look at his dumb face.”

“Endearing, isn’t it?”  Mihawk chuckles lightly, studying the picture for a beat.  “When I met him at the adoption event, he was the only child that didn’t smile at me.  That’s how I knew we were two peas in a pod.” He hums lightly, eyes still turned on the image.  “He did love your mother. She took him under her wing a bit after she heard about his parents’ unfortunate demise.  I will forever be grateful for that.”

Mihawk releases a sigh, lifting his gaze to Sanji.  “Would you like to keep the photo?”

“If you don’t need it laying around, I would love to. Thank you so much.”

Without another word, Mihawk gently dislodges the photo from its place in the album and slides it to Sanji, giving it one final glance before sitting back in his chair.  A stillness settles between them as the moment passes, Mihawk leaning forward for his wine glass and taking a pensive sip. His gaze sharpens again as he glances to the dining room entryway, face contorting to a glare as he wonders aloud, “Now where the hell did that nimrod run off to?  Timbuktu?”

“Probably got lost finding the bathroom,” Sanji quips, fondness in his heart as he keeps his eyes on the photo, focused on his small hand clasping onto the sleeve of Zoro’s t-shirt. He smiles gently. “Idiot.”

 

* * *

 

Sanji rustles his fob around for the key to his townhome, sighing after a long day at work. He pulled an open to close today because his dad wanted the day off to go to his doctor. Luckily the bar cleared out around 9:30, no late stragglers, allowing him to close early for a Thursday. He noticed Zoro’s truck on the side of the road while pulling into the driveway, but Nami’s car is gone. She must’ve stepped out to grab some things -- or some friends, considering it’s movie night. This means that lunkhead is inside, probably making a mess of their home. He was surprised not to see him at the bar tonight. Nothing ended up happening after the dinner at Mihawk’s and Sanji hadn’t seen him since, just a couple texts here and there. He’s hoping tonight they’ll be able to get a moment alone, feeling pretty pent up in all honesty.

Swinging the door open, Sanji steps inside, shuffling out of his shoes. He turns on the light in the hallway, curious that no light had been left on in the main floor. Maybe Nami has stepped out for longer than he assumed. Zoro probably left with her too. They’ll be back soon. He figures this gives him time to have a shower and get into relaxation mode before they’re home.

Heading upstairs, Sanji skips his room and heads straight for the bathroom. Closing the door and leaving it unlocked, he turns on the showerhead and brushes his teeth as he waits for it to heat up. Then he quickly strips out of his clothes and slides open the frosted glass pane door, stepping under the heavenly water pressure with a pleased sigh.

It’s so nice on his tired muscles he decides to take his time showering and enjoy it. Many minutes later, he’s almost finished when suddenly the pane door opens roughly, causing his heart to jump. Shocked, he whirls around, adrenaline blazing under his skin as he sees a naked, erect Zoro stepping inside without a care in the world.

“What the fuck, Zoro!” he exclaims, putting a hand to his thumping heart as Zoro wraps an arm around his waist and tugs him close. “You scared the shit outta me!”

Zoro responds with a smirk, silently pressing their bodies flush as he stands under the hot stream of water.  He’d been waiting in his boxers on Sanji’s bed but grew impatient as the man’s shower lingered on. Decided to take matters into his own hands.  Now those same hands are exploring Sanji’s body, traveling down lower to give a firm squeeze to the naked ass he’s been wanting all goddamn week.  Cockblocked by their friends, his dad, chores, errands -- it’s the first time since Sunday he’s had Sanji in his arms and he intends to have a fun night before Nami’s home.

“Been waiting,” Zoro says roughly as he leans in to kiss Sanji on the jaw.  “You take too damn long.”

“Was getting ready for you,” Sanji says, tilting his head up to allow Zoro’s lips and tongue to wander. “Thought you were out with Nami. You creep. Hid in my room again?”

“Figured you wanted it too,” Zoro confirms with a low chuckle, inching forward until Sanji’s shoulders press against the shower wall.  He feels the erection hardening against his thigh, enticing him to snake his hand around and grip it. “Seems like you do.”

“‘Course I do,” Sanji says, breathing softly as Zoro begins stroking him. He runs his hands along the wet skin of Zoro’s taut abs, slipping down underneath the swell of his balls. “It’s been awhile.”

“Either rinse off now or I fuck you in this shower.”

The idea of shower sex with Zoro is tempting, but he’s been in here so long his skin is starting to prune. Plus, he’d rather finally have Zoro in his bed after all those nights fantasizing. And then that missed opportunity several weeks ago. Humming softly, he gives Zoro’s shaft a teasing squeeze, answering, “I’ll rinse off. Want you in my bed.”

“Good.”  Zoro gives Sanji another firm stroke before exiting the shower, winking as he slides the door closed behind him.  Grabbing one of the towels, he quickly dries as he crosses the hall back to Sanji’s room, falling onto the bed and lubing up as he waits.

Sanji turns off the shower and hops out, drying his body and hair off with a towel before wrapping it around his waist. Smoothing over wet strands, he stares at his reflection in the mirror, satisfied that his fresh out of shower look is sexy and desirable. He picks up his clothes to put in the hamper in his room and makes his way briskly to his room. Once inside, Zoro stalking over to him intensely is the first thing he sees before he’s pushed into the door, slamming it shut. He drops the clothes in his hand to bring his hands around Zoro’s shoulders as the man kisses him fiercely against the wood.

Hands immediately finding the towel around Sanji’s waist, Zoro rips the cloth off of him, needing to feel their naked bodies sliding against each other.  Their lips and tongues play fiercely as his hands grip thin hips in a stronghold, lubed erection sliding against Sanji’s already hard cock. He spins them around, pushing Sanji towards the bed, not wanting to waste any more time.  “Lay back,” he orders sternly as he pushes Sanji down onto the mattress, stretching to grab the waiting lube. “Need to be inside.”

Sanji slides back along the sheets, waiting excitedly as Zoro crawls over to him with the bottle of lube in hand. The man’s erection is long and hard for him, the sight alone is boiling the blood under his skin, rushing it to the head of his cock. He spreads his legs further apart as Zoro begins stroking between his cheeks with a teasing finger. “I want you,” Sanji entices, squirming a bit on the bed. “Get me ready for you. Hurry.”

Zoro quickly inserts another lubed finger, leaning forward to bite on Sanji’s bottom lip as he prepares him.  “Shut up,” he teases lightly, leaning in for a deep kiss. He receives a grind from Sanji’s hips in response, provoking him to add a third finger, stretching as fast as possible as they continue to kiss.  Once satisfied that Sanji is ready, Zoro pulls away and gives him a feral grin. “Tell me you want it.”

Sanji keeps his mouth shut, only letting out small soft moans. Zoro _did_ tell him to shut up. Also, he wants Zoro to give it to him rough and disobeying him is a surefire way to get it. The reaction is almost instantaneous, Zoro’s fingers halt completely. Sanji sits up slightly to give Zoro a stubborn glare, not surprised to be shoved back down roughly. He continues to push his luck, questioning harshly, “Are you gonna fuck me or not?”

“Gonna fuck you alright,” Zoro retorts gruffly, grabbing Sanji by the waist and flipping him onto his stomach.  The direct disobedience is lighting up his skin, cajoling him into fucking even rougher than he had intended. He continues positioning Sanji the way he wants, on his knees, ass in the air.  Zoro lines up behind him, pressing his already lubed cock against his entrance and pushing in without warning, earning himself a cry of pleasure with his movements. He doubles forward, gripping Sanji by the jaw as he turns his head to whisper into his ear.  “Gonna fuck you hard.”

“Fuck yeah, fuck me hard,” Sanji growls out, in absolute bliss. “I fucking want it,” he continues goading. Zoro releases a low carnal breath into his ear before picking up the pace, pulling back and ploughing in deep and raw each time. His groans heavily. He’s missed this feeling over the past several days. Then suddenly the thrusts stop as Zoro pauses to shift, forcing Sanji to look back as the man brings his leg up for more leverage. Excited, he moves to readjust but as he does, Zoro wraps an arm under his pelvis, folding him upward so his ass is high. It’s electrifying, being controlled like this. He can feel Zoro’s rippled torso over his spine, completely curling over him as he drives deep into him once more. Sanji begins moaning with the tempo of the more intense thrusts and the hands gripping his jaw quickly shift to cover his mouth, muffling his cries of pleasure. He grips the bed sheets tightly between his fingers, the urgency within him climbing rapidly.

Using his leg to help him drive deeper, Zoro thrusts relentlessly, the sound of his thighs and pelvis smacking against Sanji with every movement filling the room.  His speed increases, Sanji moaning against his hand even louder as he continues his momentum. He leans forward, bending down to sink his teeth into the pale flesh of an exposed shoulder, the guttural cry released from Sanji’s throat surging straight to his hard cock, motivating him to fuck even rougher.  He doesn’t move away, instead continuing to lick and bite at Sanji’s shoulder as their bodies move together.

“Hey Sanji, what --”

Zoro glances over to the door just as it flies open, Usopp’s grinning face appearing on the other side.  He doesn’t stop his actions, only slowing slightly as his friend’s expression twists into horror once it registers what he’s witnessing.

“Oh my _fucking god_.”

Sanji’s head whirls backwards to the door in terror. He freezes up, moving to cover himself instinctively, hand searching for a pillow. “Usopp!” he shouts pitchily, his hand finding the pillow and throwing it back at the door. “Shit, get out! _Usopp!”_

“I’m going, I’m going! Sorry!” Usopp babbles, slamming the door shut and the sound of his panicked footsteps thump down the stairs.

Frozen in place as he listens for footsteps to be completely out of range, Sanji brings a hand back to Zoro’s chest as the idiot keeps grinding and fucking him slowly. Heart still settling from shock, Sanji says incredulously, “Have you no shame? That was fucking embarrassing!”

“Nope,” Zoro responds with a grin, leaning forward and shoving Sanji’s head down into the pillow, increasing his speed.  He wraps a hand around the slender frame, gripping Sanji’s still semi-hard erection and stroking lightly. “Might as well finish.”

“Goddamn animal,” Sanji grouses. He knows it won’t take long to get fired up close to climax. He was damn close before the embarrassing interruption. A particularly deep thrust gets him moaning again, the rough treatment putting him back in the mood. His hand curls over his cock, working it almost instantly back to full strength.  Zoro’s pace could use some reaffirming, though. He provokes in a smooth tone, “C’mon. You can do better than that.”

Never one to back down from a challenge, Zoro quickly increases the speed and strength of his thrusts, the moan escaping Sanji’s mouth rewarding him.  “Gonna make you come,” he promises through clenched teeth as he continues stroking, his own orgasm close. Sanji meets every thrust of his hips with vigor, his neediness growing with each minute that passes.  “Tell me when you’re close.”

“I’m close. Bite me again,” Sanji requests, knowing it’ll put him over the edge like it already almost did. His breath shudders as a sheen of sweat gathers on his skin, Zoro’s teeth on his shoulder, pressing sharply against his flesh. That does it. His body pulsing with need, his orgasm rises so rapidly and powerfully that there’s no way to hold it back.  “Fuck, _Zoro_!”

Zoro feels the warmth of Sanji’s orgasm spill into his hand as he delivers his final hard thrusts, his own climax consuming him as he grunts loudly.  Their bodies tense in unison as they both coast through their moments of bliss before Zoro pulls out and crashes onto the bed next to Sanji, chest heaving from the intensity of their sex.  “Fuck,” he mutters in self-satisfaction, raising his clean hand to wipe sweat from his brow. “Hand me that towel, would ya.”

Sanji moves languidly to grab the towel, like he’s full of lead, still working on gaining control of his body again. He hands it to Zoro, who begins cleaning them both off before standing to drop it into Sanji’s hamper in the corner of the room. Sanji lays in bed a while longer, watching the muscles in Zoro’s back tense and release as he pulls up his pants and throws his shirt back on. He was hoping to sprawl out in bed a bit with the man, but it’s no big deal. “Going down so soon?” he asks, merely receiving a grunt of confirmation. “Beat Usopp’s ass for me, would you?”

“That’s the plan.”

“I’ll meet you down there in a few.”

Zoro takes his leave from the room, giving Sanji’s naked body one last lustful gaze before closing the door behind him.  He stops in the bathroom to take a piss and wipe the sweat from his face before he descends the stairs, hearing Usopp’s incessant whining in the kitchen as he reaches the bottom.

“Why would you do that to me, Nami?!”

He saunters into the kitchen and heads straight for the fridge, staring down Usopp as he opens the door and grabs a bottle of water.  Nami is seated at the table, amused expression lighting up her face as Usopp’s mouth drops, eyes widening at the sight of Zoro.

“You _monster_!”

“What?” Zoro asks with a raised brow, chugging back the water bottle and wiping his mouth on the shoulder of his shirt.  “Ain’t never seen two people fucking before?”

“You could have stopped!” Usopp screeches, pointing an accusatory finger in Zoro’s direction.  “You just _stared_ at me and kept going!  Don’t think I didn’t notice!”

Nami cackles loudly. “That’s savage, Zoro.” She sighs, thoroughly pleased with herself. “This is gold.”

“And you!”  Usopp whirls around, pointing his finger in Nami’s direction now.  “You set me up! You knew he was here, didn’t you?!”

Nami crosses her arms over her chest, glaring callously at Usopp. “Absolutely I set you up. And it couldn’t have gone more perfectly.”

“My truck is outside, dumbass.”

“Yeah but --” Usopp sputters, shaking his head and crossing his arms over his chest.  “She told me she thought you were in the bathroom. I never would have suspected you were up there doing _that_!”

“What’s really the issue here, Usopp?” Nami asks with a wicked grin. “Are you worried you might’ve liked what you saw?”

Usopp balks at Nami’s suggestion.  “No! I mean, I have nothing against it,” he clarifies quickly, catching sight of Zoro taking a step closer.  “But I didn’t want to see my friend balls deep in my other friend, okay?!” He sighs heavily. “When is Luffy gonna get here?  I need sane people around me.”

“Luffy, sane? Now you’re talking like a lunatic,” Nami says, shaking her head.

“At least I know if I see Law’s car outside not to walk into Luffy’s room.”

“And now you know about my truck,” Zoro affirms with a nod, finishing off his water bottle and tossing it into the recycling bin.  “Knock next time so I can put on a better show.”

Nami snorts at the joke while Usopp just glares. She asks Zoro, “Was Sanji so mortified he’s gonna hide up there all night?”

“He’s recovering.”  Zoro gives Usopp a toothy grin.  “Ask Usopp all about the pounding I gave him.”

“No, no, _no_!”  Usopp shouts, putting his fingers in his ears childishly.  “I need to smoke a blunt like _now_.”

“Calm down, Luffy’ll be here soon,” Nami says, scrolling through her phone. “Sanji!” she calls loudly all of a sudden. “Stop being a baby and get down here!”

From the bathroom upstairs, Sanji hears Nami calling him. With a heavy sigh, he stops dawdling with cleaning up, getting dressed and exiting the washroom. Time to beat Usopp’s ass if nothing else. “Coming, Nams!” he calls as he makes his way down the stairs and strolls around to head for the kitchen. Giving Zoro a quick glance, his eyes settle on Usopp staring at him nervously. Then he connects his eyes with Nami.

“Usopp enjoyed the show,” she teases ruthlessly.

“Sanji, can you please tell me where you keep your bleach?”  Usopp asks sincerely, plopping down heavily into one of the kitchen chairs and staring forlornly at the floor.  “I can’t get the image of Zoro’s balls out of my eyes.”

“Would you prefer I gouge them out for you?” Sanji threatens menacingly.

“Consider yourself lucky,” Zoro offers with a cocky smirk as he leans against the counter.  “They’re beautiful balls.”

Sanji hits him in the arm. “You shut the fuck up,” he grumbles, turning back to Usopp. “Why the fuck wouldn’t you knock, blockhead? Who in their right mind doesn’t fucking knock?”

“It was unlocked and I thought Zoro was in the bathroom, okay?!” Usopp shrills, pointing to Nami accusingly.  “She set me up!”

Sanji sighs, hand to his hip. “Whatever you say, Peeping Tom. Let’s just forget this ever happened.”

“At least I have a good story for when you guys get married.”

Nami holds up a raised hand. “Stop. Sanji is putting a ring on it with me. I’d rather spend a lifetime shopping and having coffee with him than listening to you bitch constantly about Zoro’s balls.”

Usopp shoots her an indignant glare.  “Fine. I’ll have a good story for _your_ wedding about the time I walked in on your husband getting railed by Zoro.”  He throws his hands into the air, completely defeated. “Why me?!”

“Because the universe hates you, Usopp,” Nami says with a sad dramatic sigh.

Zoro pushes himself off the counter and reaches over to pat Usopp on the shoulder apologetically.

Usopp freezes, staring at the hand on his arm.  “Please do not touch me right now.”

The small trio’s laughter is quickly broken up by the sound of the front door flying open, Luffy bounding into the kitchen with raucous shouting.  “Hey guys! I just saw the fattest raccoon ever!”

“Usopp just saw the fattest cock ever,” Zoro deadpans with a proud grin.

“Thank god you’re here,” Usopp cries out, dashing out of his seat to Luffy’s side and ignoring Chopper as he files into the cramped kitchen.  “Did you bring any green? I need a major bong hit after what I’ve been through tonight.”

“Yeah, ‘course I brought some! You saw a big fat cock?! Was it Zoro’s?!” Luffy says excitedly.

Sanji shakes his head and ignores the conversation around him, hiding a major blush as he rustles around in the fridge, looking for something to whip up for movie night. It’ll take his mind off his embarrassment. He’d rather stay the fuck out of this and wait for it all to blow over.

Zoro watches as Usopp ushers Luffy into the living room, describing in great detail his experience upstairs.  Nami follows behind cackling, tugging Chopper along with her. He shifts his gaze to Sanji at the counter, noticing the pink tinge to his cheeks.  Scooting closer, Zoro places a comforting hand on Sanji’s lower back and leans in give a soft kiss on his temple. “Don’t worry, blondie. He’s just enjoying the attention.”

Sanji tilts his head back to get a good look in Zoro’s eyes, sparkling with something. Pride, probably. “So are you. Bet you and your nutsack got a good ego boost off of that.”

“Can’t deny the truth.”

“They’re gonna sag one day, you know. Don’t get too attached,” Sanji says, throwing some party hors d’oeuvres in the oven. He flicks Zoro’s shoulder on his way out back for a quick smoke before he plans to join everyone in the living room. He can hear they’re still going nuts over Usopp’s ‘ordeal’ and he’d rather not be around for it.

Zoro watches Sanji take his leave, shaking his head at the way the man saunters out.  He sighs lightly, fishing a beer from the fridge before entering the living room, met with the sight of Luffy and Nami cackling wildly as Usopp demonstrates the way he slammed the door shut and ran down the stairs.  Even Chopper is snickering from his seat on the couch.

“I thought my eyes were gonna bleed!”

“You are being _so_ overdramatic.  And that’s coming from me,” Nami prods, running a hand through her red locks. “They’re just balls. You’ve got a pair too, you know. Anatomy 101.  Need me to describe those to the class?”

“Think you should,” Zoro agrees as he takes a seat on the chair, cracking open his beer and taking a long drink.  He gives Usopp a nasty glare. “Could talk about the time you got your dick stuck in your fly.”

Chopper chimes in. “Or the time you accidentally teabagged Luffy while skinny dipping!”

Luffy bounces in his seat.  “Yeah! Or the time you thought your dick was gonna fall off ‘cause you had that rash!”

“Oh my _god,_ guys! Stop! No, no! I don’t deserve this! I’m the victim here!”

“Got a victim mentality alright,” Nami drills, playing with her nails.

“I have to tell Traffy about this,” Luffy declares through his laughter, pulling out his cell phone and quickly dialing.  He rests it on the coffee table on speakerphone as he takes another bong rip.

“Hello?”

“Traffy! Usopp saw Zoro and Sanji boning! He won’t stop talking about Zoro’s massive balls!” Luffy explains excitedly, smoke billowing out of his mouth as he speaks.

“Please don’t let Zoro hear you say that.”

“Yeah! He looks super happy right now!”

A sigh sounds on the side of the phone.  “Is this why you called me at midnight?”

“Yeah!”

“I am hanging up now.”

“Okay! Later Traffy! Let’s hang soon -- oh, he hung up.”

Chopper shoots Zoro a puzzled look.  “I didn’t know you and Sanji were together?”

“We’re not.”

Sanji walks in with a glass of wine, hearing the butt end of the conversation. Some part of him doesn’t like to hear Zoro say that, as much as he knows it’s true. Everyone seems to be filled in at this point. “Still on this topic, I guess? Maybe I should check on the food,” Sanji says, eager to get back to the sanctuary of his kitchen.

Nami reaches over to wrap a hand over his wrist. “No, stay. We’re at a very interesting part of this ‘topic.’”

Sanji forces a smile at her and sits on the armrest of her side of the couch, letting her arm rest over his thigh. He takes a small sip of wine, his eyes wandering across the room until he lands on Zoro’s gaze, letting them linger there for a bit. “We’re just messing around is all,” he explains to his friends. “Nothing serious.”

“What I saw looked serious,” Usopp mutters as he fires up the TV, surfing for a movie to watch.

“Oh, would you get over yourself?”  Nami chastises with an annoyed huff.

“Oh, okay,” Chopper accepts with a slow nod, shifting in his seat to give Sanji and Nami more room.  His round brown eyes turn on Zoro, his expression unsure, as though he’s thinking deeply about his next words.  “I always kinda thought you two would be good together.”

Zoro holds Chopper’s stare for a beat before he shifts his gaze to Sanji again, disappointed that the man is avoiding his eye entirely.  Chopper’s right on the mark. Even in the old days of their shallow high school rivalry, they’ve always had a spark. It kept Zoro hanging on even through his friend’s staunch heterosexuality and stupidity.  Too bad the dumbass across the room didn’t feel the same all these years. And now it’s too late.

“Really, you two have always had it bad for each other. Surprised it didn’t happen in school if you ask me,” Nami expresses, fuelling the fire.

Sanji’s frown deepens as he focuses his stare on the TV, mindlessly watching Usopp scroll through several movies and series on Netflix. He’s so absolutely done with this conversation, it’s getting too invasive for his liking. This thing he has with Zoro needs to stay simple for his own sanity and here they are complicating it with their longstanding observations of his natural chemistry with Zoro. He doesn’t need the reminder. The last thing he needs to feel right now is a creeping sense of fate.

Luffy lets out a plume of smoke from his final bong rip, interrupting the conversation with a dramatic stretch and loud sigh.  He catches Zoro’s attention, wide brown eyes hiding something beneath their normal sparkle. A knowing look. He smiles as he excitedly claps his hands together.

“So what movie are we gonna watch, guys?!”

  
  
  



End file.
